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LETTERS 


MINISTRI  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 


BY 

FRANCIS'  WAYLAISTD. 


BOSTON 


GOULD     AND     LINCOLN, 

69    WASHINGTON-     STREET. 

NEW   YORK:    SHELDON   AND    COMPANY. 
CINCINNATI  ;  GEORGE  S.  BLANCHARD. 

1  864. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1863, 

Bt  FRANCIS  WAYLAND, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Rhode  Island. 


KI,  ECTROTYPED  BT 
r.  DBAfEK,  ANUUVEB.  MASS. 


C0 

DEACON  HEM  AN  LINCOLN, 

^\m  fitters, 

WRITTEN     AT     HIS     URGENT     SOLICITATION, 
ARE    RESPECTFULLY     ADDRESSED. 

BT 

HI8    FEIEKD    AND    BROTHER, 

TEE    AUTHOR. 


\ 


CONTENTS. 


LETTER   I. 

THE  PAST  AND  THE  PRESENT. 

MINISTRY  OF  THE  PRESEKT  TIME  COMPARED  WITH  THAT  WHICH 
PRECEDED  IT  —  EXCELLENCES  AND  DEFICIENCIES  OF  EACH  — 
CAN  WE  NOT  SECURE  THE  BENEFITS  AND  AVOID  THE  EVILS  OF 
BOTH?— MISTAKES  J3F  OLD  MEN  IN  TAKING  A  VIEW  OF  A  SUB- 
JECT OF  THIS  KIND  — IS  THERE  ANY  STANDARD  BY  WHICH  THE 
MINISTRY  CAN  BE  JUDGED? 13 


LETTER    II. 

A  CALL  TO  THE  MINISTRY. 

THE  NEW  TESTAMENT  FURNISHES  SUCH  A  STANDARD  — THE  WAY 
OF  SALVATION  BY  CHRIST  —  THE  MINISTER'S  RELATION  TO  IT  — 
HOW  IS  A  MAN  CALLED  TO  THE  MINISTRY?  —  PROPER  EVI- 
DENCES OP  SUCH  A  CALL  —  GENERAL  AGREEMENT  ON  THIS 
SUBJECT  OF  ALL  CHURCHES  WHO  ACCEPT  THE  DOCTRINES  OF 
THE  REFORMATION, 24 


Vni  CONTENTS. 

LETTER    III. 

THE  MINISTRY  NOT  A  PROFESSION. 

IS  THE  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL  A  PEOFESSIOIT?  —  IN  WHAT 
SENSE  IT  IS  AND  IN  WHAT  SENSE  IT  IS  NOT  — THE  MINISTER  IS 
AN  AGENT,  BUT  HIS  PRINCIPAL  IS  NOT  MAN,  BUT  ALMIGHTY 
GOD— PAUL'S  REVIEW  OF  HIS  MINISTRY  AT  EPHESUS— THE 
REWARDS  OP  THE  MINISTRY  NOT  TEMPORAL  BUT  ETERNAL  — 
APOSTOLICAL  AND  PROFESSIONAL  MINISTRY  CONTRASTED  —  AN 
EXAMPLE  — THE  MINISTER  A  STEWARD  —  AN  AMBASSADOR  — 
HIS  SOLEMN  RESPONSIBILITY, 36 


LETTER    IV. 

PREACHING  THE  GOSPEL. -THE  CONVERSION  OF 

SINNERS. 

THE  APOSTLE  PAUL'S  VIEW  OF  PREACHING  —  HOW  CAN  THIS 
DUTY  BE  DISCHARGED?  —  WHAT  IS  A  TEXT?  — WHAT  USE  ARE  WE 
ALLOWED  TO  MAKE  OF  IT?  —TWO  EXAMPLES  — THE  REASON  FOR 
A  TEXT  AT  ALL  IS  THAT  IT  CONTAINS  AN  IDEA  OF  GOD  —  IT  IS 
THIS  IDEA  WHICH  MUST  BE  SET  BEFORE  THE  PEOPLE  —  MORAL 
AND  INTELLECTUAL  PREPARATION  — THE  PREPARATION  OP  THE 
HEART  OF  MORE  CONSEQUENCE  THAN  THE  PREPARATION  OF  THE 
SERMON  —  WHAT  MAY  BE  EXPECTED  WHEN  THIS  PREPARATION 
IS  UNIVERSAL,  .  .  - 61 


CONTENTS.  iX 

LETTER    V. 

PREACHING.  — THE  EDIFICATION  OF  BELIEVERS. 

LABOK  FOR  THE  CONVERSION  OF  SINNERS  AND  FOR  THE  ESTABLISH' 
MENT  OF  BELIEVERS  NOT  SO  DISSIMILAR  AS  MANY  SUPPOSE—* 
CHRISTIANS  MAY  BE  EDIFIED  BY  DOCTRINAL,  EXPERIMENTAL, 
AND  PRACTICAL  PREACHING  —  DOCTRINAL  PREACHING  —  CHRIS- 
TIANS GROW  IN    GRACE  BY  INCREASED    KNOWLEDGE  OF    TRUTH 

—  LEGH  RICHMOND  —  EXPOSITORY  PREACHING  —  ITS  ADVAN- 
TAGES—EXPERIMENTAL PREACHING  — EVIDENCES  OF  CHRIS- 
TIAN CHARACTER— PRACTICAL  PREACHING — MEN  SIN  THROUGH 
IGNORANCE,   WHICH    PREACHING    OUGHT    TO    DISPEL  —  EXAMPLE 

—  CHALMERS, 77 


LETTER    VI. 

MANNER  OF  PREACHING. 

MISCELLANEOUS  CHARACTER  OF  OUR  AUDIENCE  —  YET  ALL  AGREE 
IN  ONE  COMMON  NEED— THE  MINISTER  SHOULD  BE  UNDERSTOfp 
BY  ALL  —  WORDS  TO  BE  USED  —  FOSTER'S  ESSAY  —STYLE  SHOULD 
BE  A  SPOKEN  AND  NOT  A  WRITTEN  STYLE— DEMOSTHENES  — 
OUR  MISTAKE  IN  SUBSTITUTING  WRITTEN  FOR  SPOKEN  SERMONS 
—  THE  MORAL  CONDITION  OF  THE  MINISTER  AS  CULTIVATED  BY 
THE  TWO  METHODS  OF  ADDRESS  —  WRITTEN  SERMONS  OFTEN 
EXTEMPORE  —  EXTEMPORE     POWER    NO     SPECIAL     GIFT  —  OBJEO- 


X  CONTENTS. 

TIONS  TO  WRITTEN  PREPARATION  —  IT  PRODUCES  A  WRITTEN 
STYLE,  DESTROYS  THE  TONES  OF  EMOTION,  AND  PRODUCES  MO- 
NOTONY IN  DELIVERY  —  CAUSES  OF  THE  PREVALENCE  OF  THIS 
MODE  OF  PREACHING  — PLACE  OF  SETTLEMENT  TO  BE  SOUGHT 
BY  A  YOUNG  MINISTER  —  THEOLOGICAL  EDUCATION  —  DOES  IT 
ACCOMPLISH  WHAT  WAS  EXPECTED  FROM  IT?  —  MAY  IT  NOT 
5EED  IMPROVEMENT?— CHANGES  SUGGESTED,  .  .  .      105 


LETTER  VII. 

PASTORAL    VISITATION. 


WHa*  5«  PASTORAL  VISITATION?  —  IMPORTANCE  OF  PERSONAL 
CONVERSATION  ON  THE  SUBJECT  OF  RELIGION  —  ILLUSTRATIONS 
—  BOTH  SINNERS  AND  SAINTS  NEED  IT  —  OPPORTUNITIES  VARI- 
OUS FOR  THE  DISCHARGE  OF  THIS  DUTY  —  BENEFITS  OF  IT — 
EFFECT  ON  THE  CHURCH  —  DEAD  CHURCHES  —  OBJECTION  —  THE 
WANT  OF  TIME, 138 


LETTER  YIII. 

OTHER   PASTORAL   DUTIES. 


OBJECT  FOR  WHICH  THE  CHURCH  WAS  INSTITUTED —ARE  CHURCH- 
ES LABORING  TO  ACCOMPLISH  THIS  OBJECT?  — THE  DUTY  OF  A 
PASTOR  IN  THIS  RESPECT  — CHURCH  AT  HAMBURG —  IMPORTANCE 


CONTENDS.  XI 

OP  DISCRIMINATION  IN  THE  QUESTION  OF  PERSONAL  PIETT  — 
EFFECT  OF  DISCIPLINE  AND  ITS  IMPORTANCE  —  POWER  OF  CHRIS- 
TIAN EXAMPLE— EFFECT  ON  A  PREACHER —  DUTY  OF  A  MINIS- 
TER IN  CASE  OF  DISCIPLINE  —  STANDING  COMMITTEES  —  OBJEC- 
TIONS TO  THEM  —  CHURCH  AND  SOCIETY  —  NATURE  OF  THE 
RELATION— DISADVANTAGES  OF  IT  —  EFFECT  ON  PREACHING  — 
EVILS  NOT  ALWAYS  FELT,  BUT  ALWAYS  LIABLE  TO  ARISE  — 
INSTANCE  — NATURE  OF  A  CHURCH  FORBIDS  THIS  RELATION  — 
THE  REMEDY  —  OBJECTIONS  CONSIDERED  —  TASTE  AND  IMAGINA- 
TION—  POWER  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  —  CHURCH  SHOULD  BE  RE- 
SPONSIBLE FOB  ALL  THE  EXPENSES  OF  WORSHIP,  .  .        157 


LETTER   IX. 

MINISTERIAL   EXAMPLE. 

IMPORTANCE  OF  EXAMPLE  — ANALOGOUS  CASES  —  A  PHYSICIAN  — 
AN  AMBASSADOR  —  MINISTERIAL  INCONSISTENCY  —  TONE  OF 
CHARACTER  —  AMUSEMENTS  —  EXAMPLE  OF  CHRIST  —  W.  ALLEN 
AND  S.  GRELLET  —  EFFECT  ON  THE  YOUNG  —  EFFECT  ON.  PREACH- 
ING,         184 


LETTER   X. 

PERSONAL  EXPLANATION.  —  CONCLUSION. 

WAS  THE  AUTHOR  SUCH  A  MINISTER  AS  HE  RECOMMENDS  OTHERS 
TO  BE?  —  HOW  HE  DISCHARGED  HIS  DUTY  TO  BE    LEARNED,  FIRST, 


XII  CONTENTS. 

PROM  HIS  people;  SECOND,  FROM  HIS  CONSCIOUSNESS  IN  THE 
SIGHT  OF  GOD— PERSONAL  CONFESSION  —  ERROR  IN  LEAVING 
TEE  MINISTRY — LATER  PASTORAL  EXPERIENCE  —  CONDITION  O:^ 
THIS  COUNTRY  — ITS  POLITICAL  CONDITION  OWING  TO  THE  WANT 
OF  PRINCIPLE  IN  RELIGIOUS  MEN  —  INTEMPERANCE  —  MAXIM& 
OP  TRADE— WHO  IS  TO  BLAME  FOR  ALL  THIS?  — WHAT  IS  TO 
BE  DONE? 197 


MINISTEY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 


•     LETTER   I. 

MINISTKY   OF  THE  PRESENT  AND  OF  THE  PAST 
COMPARED. 


My  Dear  Brother: 

XroU  and  I  have  frequently  conversed  on  the 
-*-  subject  of  the  Christian  Ministry.  We  have 
compared  the  ministry  of  the  pre^nt  day  with  that 
of  years  long  gone  by.  It  has  appeared  to  us 
both,  that  an  important  change  has  come  over 
the  character  and  labors  of  those  who  appear 
before  men  as  the  messengers  of  reconciliation. 
We  seem  to  observe  this  in  all  denominations,  but 
especially  in  that  to  which  we  belong.  We  have 
in  the  jDulpit  far  more  correct  rhetoric  than  for- 
merly ;  our  ministers  are  better  dressed,  and  much 
more  familiar  with  the  usages  of  society.  The 
illustrations  employed  show  that  the  preacher  is 
familiar  with  modern  literature,  especially  the 
literature  of  the  English  language.  The  terms 
of  science  and  allusions  to  recent  discovery  are 


14  MINISTRY  OF  TEE  GOSPEL. 

frequently  used,  either  to  enforce  or  explaift  the 
truths  of  the  gosi^el.  The  worship  of  God  by- 
singing,  accompanied  by  costly  instruments,  is  fre- 
quently performed  by  salaried  professional  artists. 
Everything  is  in  the  highest  degree  decorous 
and  i^roper.  You  may  attend  upon  one  of 
our  churches  for  months  without  any  danger  of 
being  offended  by  a  single  instance  of  false 
grammar.  But  little  moral  emotion  is  however 
aroused,  nor  does  it  seem  to  be  much  expected. 
On  special  occasions,  on  leaving  the  house  of  God 
you  may  hear  the  sermon  applauded  in  terms 
such  as  these  :  "  What  a  noble  effort ! "  "  That 
was  a  beautifully  written  discourse : "  "  What  a 
brilliant  train  of  thouofht !  "  "  That  sermon  ouo^ht 
to  be  published ;  it  would  give  reputation  to  our 
society."  The  sermon,  however,  excites  no  partic- 
ular discussion.  It  gives  rise  to  small  self-inspec- 
tion. No  man  asks  himself,  What  have  I  done, 
or,  What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved  ?  *It  is  a  very  rare 
occurrence  for  any  hearer  to  be  convicted  by  a 
sermon,  or  to  be  led  by  it  to  the  cross  of  Christ. 
Such  a  result,  as  the  immediate  effect  of  preaching, 
seems  neither  to  be  labored  for,  nor  anticipated. 
Of  those  who  attend  the  worship  of  God,  I  fear 
that  the  greater  part  go  because  it  has  been  their 
custom  from  youth.  Some  go  for  the  respecta- 
bility   of  the   thing,    others    for   the   purpose    of 


PRESENT  AND  PAST  COMPARED.  15 

setting  a  good  example,  and  all  go  expecting  to 
hear  a  discourse  on  some  serious  subject  to  which  ) 
a  text  from  the  Bible  has  been  prefixed.  This*^ 
discourse  is  accurately  written,  and  pleasantly- 
delivered;  tinged,  it  may  be,  with  a  reference 
to  passing  events,  and  sometimes  with  an  allu- 
sion to  authors  that  happen  to  be  in  vogue.  If 
all  this  is  successfully  performed  ;  if  a  fair  propor- 
tion of  the  audience  is  wealthy  and  occupy  a  prom- 
inent position  in  society;  if  they  pay  their  pew-tax 
freely  and  contribute  respectably  to  the  ordinary 
associations  for  benevolence ;  if  they  take  good 
care  of  their  minister,  and  provide  liberally  for  his 
various  seasons  of  recreation,  the  church  is  deemed 
to  be  in  a  flourishing  condition.  All  this  goes  on 
year  after  year,  and  men  seem  hardly  to  suspect 
that  these  services  were  intended  by  Almighty 
God  to  be  the  means  of  rescuing  them  from  hell  , 
and  preparing  them  for  heaven.  The  most  that 
is  accomplished  is  the  pleasant  occupation  of  the 
hour.  Those  who  profess  to  be  the  disciples  of 
Christ,  and  those  who  make  no  such  profession, 
are  equally  at  ease  under  the  guidance  of  one  who 
has  assumed  the  care  of  their  souls  ;  while  all  are 
rapidly  drawing  near  to  the  judgment-bar,  and 
the  great  majority  under  the  condemnation  of  the 
second  death. 

Sabbath  schools  commenced  within  the  period 


16  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

of  our  recollection,  and  they  have  since  become 
universal.  They  have  received  the  blessing  of 
God,  and  from  them  come  almost  all  the  converts 
whose  profession  of  faith  gladdens  the  hearts  of  the 
pious.  I  sometimes  fear,  nevertheless,  that  even 
these  are  losing  their  efficiency  as  a  means  of 
moral  training.  I  sometimes  think  that  too  much 
time  is  spent  on  incidentals,  and  not  enough  in  the 
direct  effort  to  bring  souls  to  Christ.  Geography, 
biography,  and  such  subjects  are  liable  to  take 
the  place  of  the  doctrines  of  repentance  and  faith 
in  Christ.  Instead  of  acting  mainly  for  the  benefit 
of  those  who  have  no  parents  to  instruct  them, 
they  in  too  many  instances  act  mainly  for  the 
benefit  of  the  members  of  the  church  and  society; 
that  is,  for  those  whose  parents  would  be  greatly 
improved  by  teaching  them  themselves.  The 
Sabbath  school,  however  conducted,  is  coming  to 
be  considered  the  great  means  of  the  conversion 
of  the  world.  The  conversion  of  children  is 
expected  and  prayed  for.  The  conversion  of 
adults  is  hardly  anticipated,  and  very  ^e\Y  means 
are  taken  to  secure  it.  It  would  seem  as  if  we 
were  content,  without  an  effort,  to  see  them 
quietly  pursuing  the  road  which  we  know  must 
lead  to  everlasting  death. 

ISTow  we  have  known,  in  our  early  days,  a  very 
different    condition     of    the    ministry    and     the 


PRESENT  AND  PAST  COMPARED.  17 

churches.  We  had  then  no  magnificent,  or  even 
elegant,  houses  of  worship.  Our  meeting-houses 
were  frequently  in  out-of-the-way  places,  and  diffi- 
cult of  access.  They  were  at  variance  with  taste, 
and  by  no  means  studious  of  comfort.  We  had 
no  expensive  instruments  of  music,  and  our  sing- 
ing was  not  at  all  of  a  high  order;  sometimes 
it  was  quite  the  reverse.  The  members  of  our 
churches  were,  for  the  most  part,  persons  in  the 
middle  or  lower  walks  of  life.  They  had  not  the 
means  of  luxurious  or  expensive  dress ;  and  from 
this,  or  for  better  reasons,  their  dress  was  plain. 
I  say  for  better  reasons,  for  it  was  a  common 
sentiment  that  it  was  unbecoming  a  disciple  of 
Christ  to  acknowledge  submission  to  the  customs 
of  the  world,  besides  being  injurious  to  a  heavenly 
life.  The  social  intercourse  of  the  disciples  of 
Christ  was  to  a  great  degree  confined  to  each  other, 
and  their  conversation  at  these  meetings  was  very 
commonly  on  the  subject  of  religion.  An  evening 
sj3ent  in  trivial  conversation  was  considered  as  time 
wholly  lost,  and  it  left  in  the  hearts  of  Christians  a 
feeling  of  self-condemnation.  In  general,  I  think, 
it  may  be  remarked  that  religion  was  a  power  which 
controlled  the  conduct  of  Christians  in  the  various 
details  of  living,  expenditure,  and  daily  intercourse, 
much  more  than  it  is  supposed  to  be  at  present. 
Our  ministry  was  of  a  much  more  diversified 
2 


18  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

character  than  it  has  been  of  later  years.  But  few 
of  our  preachers  had  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  a 
classical  education ;  and  it  was  sometimes  thought 
that  these  were  not,  in  general,  more  efficient  la- 
borers than  their  brethren.  In  fact,  there  was,  for 
a  considerable  period  within  my  recollection,  a 
prejudice  against  an  educated  ministry.  It  was 
supposed  that  an  education  far  in  advance  of  their 
brethren  induced  a  reliance  upon  learning  rather 
than  on  the  Spirit  of  God.  This  was  frequently 
carried  to  a  ludicrous  extreme.  Some  people  be- 
lieved that  a  man  should  not  prepare  for  the  pulpit 
by  studying  at  all ;  and  ministers  would  sometimes, 
in  the  way  of  boasting,  declare  at  the  commence- 
ment of  a  discourse  that  they  did  not  know  until 
they  entered  the  pulpit  from  what  text  they  should 
address  the  audience.  The  result  was  such  as 
might  be  expected.  They  either  spoke  at  random, 
without  any  object,  and  tending  to  no  result,  or 
else  they  had  become  familiar  with  one  or  two 
trains  of  thought,  which  they  easily  fell  into,  no 
matter  what  text  they  might  happen  to  select.  Not 
an  uncommon  feature  in  the  preaching  of  the  last 
i  generation,  was  a  peculiar  sing-song  tone,  which 
many  ministers,  and  even  educated  men,  were  liable 
to  contract.  This  has  so  entirely  passed  away  from 
us  that  but  few  can  understand  what  it  is  to  which 
I  refer.     I  believe  that  it  still  lingers  in  some  por- 


PRESENT  AND  PAST  COMPARED.  19 

tions  of  our  country,  especially  among  the  Society 
of  Friends.  It  was  a  very  unpleasant,  vehement 
sort  of  clianting,  entirely  artificial,  and  wholly  at 
A'ariance  with  any  effort  at  good  delivery.  I  am 
rather  of  the  opinion  that  young  extempore  speak- 
ers were  liable  to  fall  into  this  habit  from  addressing 
large  congregations,  of  which  they  stood  in  great 
fear.  This  sing-song  took  the  place  of  that  self- 
jDOssession  without  which  proper  emphasis  and  the 
natural  tones  of  emotion  cannot  exist ;  and  wlien 
the  habit  was  once  formed,  it  generally  continued 
through  life.  I  have  heard  able  and  earnest  ser- 
mons which  have  been  rendered  utterly  distasteful 
by  this  vicious  habit  of  delivery.  Let  us  be  thank- 
ful that  this  is  a  thing  of  the  past. 

Most  of  our  ministers  had  received  in  youth  the 
culture  derived  from  common  schools,  and  their 
acquisitions  were  more  commonly  made  after  their 
attention  had  been  turned  to  the  ministry.  Occa- 
sionally they  were  wanting  in  taste,  and  in  due 
appreciation  of  the  relation  existing  between  them- 
selves and  their  audience.  Their  modes  of  expres- 
sion and  topics  of  illustration  would  sometimes 
grate  sadly  npon  the  ear;  still  there  was  decided 
power  in  their  simple,  honest  earnestness.  Others, 
of  a  more  delicate  mould,  easily  accommodated 
themselves  to  the  circumstances  in  which  they  were 
placed.     One  of  them,  the  late  Rev.  Alfred  Bennet, 


20  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

has  told  me  how  he  employed  the  time  redeemed 
from  labor,  in  studies  at  night  by  the  light  of  pine 
knots ;  and  how  assiduously  he  attended  courts  in 
his  neighborhood,  for  the  purpose  of  observing  the 
practice  of  lawyers,  so  that  from  them  he  might 
learn  the  best  modes  of  public  speaking,  and  the 
most  successful  manner  of  forming  a  popular  ar- 
gument. He  became  one  of  the  best  and  most 
effective  ministers  and  counsellors;  and  there  is 
scarcely  one  of  our  number  who  was  listened  to 
with  more  general  acceptance,  or  to  whom  the 
cause  of  missions  is  under  greater  obligations. 

It  will  be  seen  at  once  that  such  ministrations  as 
these  would  not  be  attractive  to  the  rich,  to  men 
of  specially  literary  tastes,  or  men  studious  of  so- 
cial position.  Men,  women,  and  children  inquiring 
Vhat  they  should  do  to  be  saved ;  saints  under 
doubts  of  the  soundness  of  their  hope  of  salvation, 
or  striving  to  know  how  they  might  make  progress 
in  piety,  however,  flocked  to  hear  them.  In  the 
country,  as  they  preached  when  on  a  journey,  or 
on  a  missionary  tour,  they  were  followed  by  such 
personsfrom  school-house  to  school-house,  and  their 
labors  were  very  commonly  attended  by  a  blessing. 
The  plain,  earnest  ambassador  of  Christ  spake  out 
of  the  fulpess  of  his  heart,  and  as  the  Saviour 
promised :  "  He  that  believeth  in  me,  out  of  him 
shall  flow  rivers  of  living  water."     Both  ministers 


PRESENT  AND  PAST  C0MPARE1>.  21 

and  people  were  content  to  be  considered  peculiar, 
and  unlike  the  men  who  were  living  for  this  world. 
When  sneered  at  and  ridiculed,  they  believed  it 
to  be  a  fulfilment  of  the  words  of  the  Saviour : 
"Marvel  not  if  the  world  hate  you :  if  ye  were  of 
the  world,  the  world  would  love  its  own  ;  but  be- 
cause ye  are  not  of  the  world,  but  I  have  chosen  you 
out  of  the  world,  therefore  the  world  hateth  you." 
Yet  the  men  who  scoffed  at  what  they  esteemed 
their  odious  preciseness,  confessed  that  they  were 
honest  and  true-minded;  that  their  word  was  as 
good  as  their  bond ;  and  if  in  alarming  sickness 
they  felt  the  need  of  prayer,  or  if  in  anguish  on 
account  of  their  sins  they  desired  to  know  what 
they  should  do  to  be  saved,  these  very  outlandish 
disciples  of  Christ  were  the  very  persons  whom 
they  sought  after.  In  fact,  our  brethren  of  the 
former  generation  were  a  people  of  a  somewhat 
rugged  character,  having  but  little  to  do  with  the 
great  world,  and  the  more  time  to  devote  to  reli- 
gion :  ready  to  bear  their  portion  of  the  burdens  of 
society,  and  forward,  according  to  the  standard  of 
the  time,  in  extending  the  knowledge  of  Christ ; 
but  neither  seeking  for  the  rewards  of  office,  nor 
indeed  were  they  often  tempted  by  the  offer  of 
them.  They  stood  aloof  from  political  agitation. 
When  a  Christian  man  became  a  politician,  it  was  a 
source  of  alarm  to  his  brethren.     I  well  remember 


J 


22  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

to  have  heard  it  remarked,  that  since  such  or  such 
a  brother  had  become  a  politician,  his  Christian 
character  and  his  interest  in  religion  had  sadly- 
deteriorated  ;  and  his  brethren  feared  that  it  would 
lead  to  his  final  apostasy. 

If  I  have  succeeded  at  all  in  conveying  an  idea 
of  the  character  of  our  brethren  in  a  former  gene- 
ration, it  must  be  evident  that  in  many  important 
respects  it  differed  from  that  of  Christians  of  the 
present  day.  We  have  doubtless  cast  aside  many 
of  their  errors,  but  may  we  not  also  have  cast  off 
many  of  their  excellences  ?  In  swinging  away  from 
one  extreme,  have  we  not  been  in  danger  of  vibrat- 
ing towards  the  other  ?  Might  we  not  have  avoided 
needless  singularity,  without  in  any  respect  lower- 
ing the  standard  of  Christian  character  ?  While 
abstaining  from  giving  cause  of  offence  to  the 
educated  and  cultivated,  might  w^e  not  still  make 
it  manifest,  that  though  we  are  in  the  world  w^e 
are  not  of  the  world,  but  in  all  conditions,  and 
under  all  circumstances,  we  are  never  anything 
but  witnesses  for  Christ?  Let  us  consider  this 
subject  in  the  pure  light  of  the  word  of  God,  and, 
I  think,  wisdom  will  be  justified  of  her  children. 

It  may  be  supposed  that  in  speaking  of  the  gene- 
ration that  has  lately  passed  away,  and  also  of  that 
now  living,  I  have  fallen  into  exaggeration.  If  this 
be  so,  it  is  unintentional.     The  observation  of  one 


PRESENT  AND  PAST  COMPARED.  23 

individual  must  be  limited,  and  what  may  be  true 
of  one  portion  of  our  country  may  not  be  true  of 
another.  He  can  only  tell  of  what  has  come  under 
his  own  eyes,  while  the  eyes  of  others  may  have 
taken  a  very  different  view.  And  besides,  in  look- 
ing over  the  events  of  their  youth,  and  comparing 
them  with  the  present,  old  men  are  particularly 
liable  to  error.  The  caution  of  the  wise  man  on 
this  subject  is  always  to  be  held  in  memory  by  us 
who  are  advancing  in  years  :  "  Say  not  thou  what 
is  the  cause  that  tlie  former  days  were  better  than 
these,  for  thou  dost  not  inquire  wisely  concerning 
this."  We  are  as  liable  to  err  in  this  respect  as 
other  men.  We  may,  after  all,  be  looking  at  this 
subject  througli  the  misty  atmosphere  whicli  so 
commonly  encompasses  old  age.  Let  us  then  throw 
aside  our  individual  experiences,  and  ask,  Is  the 
case  then  closed  ?  Is  there  no  standard  to  which 
it  is  p.ossible  to  appeal  ?  If  the  present  condition 
of  the  ministry  and  of  the  churches  may  not  be 
compared  with  that  of  the  period  which  preceded 
it,  is  there  nothing  by  which  its  excellence  or  de- 
ficiency may  be  estimated  ?  Let  us  consider  this 
in  another  letter. 

Yours,  truly. 

/ 


LETTER   II. 


A  CALL  TO  THE  MINISTRY. 


My  Dear  Brother: 

T  THINK  we  may  easily  answer  the  questions 
-^  at  the  close  of  my  last  letter  in  the  affirmative. 
We  need  not  ask  whether  the  ministry  of  the 
I)resent  day  is  either  better  or  worse  than  that  of 
any  other  period.  This  inquiry  does  not  reach  the 
root  of  the  matter.  The  only  question  of  real  im- 
portance is  this  :  Is  the  ministry  actually  fulfilling 
the  great  purpose  for  which  it  was  appointed  ?  If 
it  be  anything  more  than  a  human  device,  it  is 
an  ordinance  of  God  ;  and  its  character,  and  the 
objects  of  its  institution,  are  to  be  learned  from 
the  pages  of  revelation.  If  the  ministry  is  at 
])resent  doing  the  work  assigned  to  it  in  the  New 
Testament,  we  need  not  ask  whether  or  not  it 
differs  from  that  of  a  former  generation.  If  it  is 
not  doing  that  work,  and  is  becoming  in  any  de- 
gree forgetful  of  the  great  object  for  which  it  was 
established,  it  is  important  that  the  facts  should 
be  known,  and  that  we  all  should  labor  earnestly 
for  its  improvement. 


A  CALL  TO  THE  MINTS  TRY.  25 

Let  US  briefly  recur  to  the  facts  which  are  com- 
monly believed  among  us,  and  which  are  either 
plainly  stated,  or  obviously  taken  for  granted,  on 
every  page  of  the  Kew  Testament. 

The  New  Testament,  as  we  believe,  distinctly 
teaches  us  that  the  whole  race  of  man  is  in  rebel- 
lion against  the  high  and  holy  Ruler  of  the  universe. 
Supreme  love,  that  golden  chain  which  unites  all 
holy  beings  to  God,  is  severed,  and  men  "do  not 
like  to  retain  God  in  their  knowledge."  They  are 
opposed  to  the  pure  and  omniscient  government  of 
the  Creator,  and  thus  "the  carnal  heart  is  enmity 
against  God."  Truths  respecting  the  claims  of 
God  and  their  obligations  to  him  make  no  impres- 
sion on  the  impenitent  soul,  any  more  tlian  appeals 
to  the  senses  affect  a  body  from  whicli  the  s};irit 
has  departed  ;  or,  in  the  language  of  the  Scriptures, 
"  they  are  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins."  A  being  in 
such  a  moral  condition  can  never  be  justified  by  his 
own  merits;  and  therefore  the  law  of  God,  holy, 
just,  and  good,  can  do  nothing  but  utter  his  con- 
demnation :  for  "by  the  law  is  the  knowledge  of 
sin,"  and  "by  the  deeds  of  the  law  can  no  flesh  be 
justified."  A  being  thus  at  enmity  with  God  must, 
unless  something  interpose,  be  banished  from  his 
presence,  and  such  banishment  is  eternal  death. 

In  this,  our  condition  of  helpless  guilt,  God,  in 
unfathomable  love,  interposed  and  wrought  out  a 


26  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

way  of  salvation  by  which  our  sins  might  be  par- 
doned, and  our  souls  cleansed  from  moral  pollution. 
"  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only 
begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him 
should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life."  This 
salvation  is  prepared  for  the  whole  human  race,  and 
it  is  freely  offered  to  all.  Every  one  who  has  him- 
self accepted  it,  is  commanded  to  make  known 
the  good  news  to  his  brethren.  "  Go  ye  into  all  the 
world,  and  jDreach  the  gospel  to  every  creature; 
he  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved, 
and  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned."  "The 
Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  come  ;  and  let  him  that 
heareth  say,  come  ;  and  let  him  that  is  athirst  come; 
and  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life 
freely."  To  every  one  who  hears  the  gospel,  the 
garte  of  heaven  is  as  wide  open  as  the  gate  of  hell. 
The*  duty  of  proclaiming  this  message  of  salva- 
tion is  thus  imposed  upon  every  disciple  of  Christ. 
But  lest,  from  the  pressure  of  temporal  business,  it 
\  should  be  neglected,  the  Saviour  has  in  every  age 
"^  chosen  men  out  of  the  company  of  disciples,  whose 
special  calling  it  shall  be,  to  labor  for  the  conversion 
of  souls.  This  was  one  part  of  the  work  for  which 
the  Son  of  God  became  incarnate  ;  and  he  said  to 
his  ministers,  "As  my  Father  hath  sent  me,  so  send 
I  you."  Th6  qualifications  for  the  ministry  are,  by 
the  Apostle  Paul,  spoken  of  as  among  the  gifts 


A   CALL  TO   THE  MINISTR  Y.  27 

which    the    Saviour,    at   his    ascension,    bestowed 
upon  his  disciples. 

Thus  the  minister  of  Christ  is  a  man  appointed 
for  a  special  service.  The  qualifications  for  his 
office  are  conferred  on  him  by  the  ascended  Saviour; 
and  the  matter  of  his  teaching,  and  the  object  to  be 
accomplished  by  it,  are  plainly  set  before  him,  in  the 
word  of  God.  Beyond  these  he  cannot  go;  and  if 
he  does,  he  is  preaching  himself,  and  not  Christ 
Jesus,  his  Lord. 

I  have  said  that  God  appoints  men  to  this  office, 
and  hence  it  differs  materially-  from  any  other  trade 
or  occupation.  The  latter,  a  man  may  assume  for 
his  own  convenience,  or  profit,  or  taste,  or  love  of 
ease.  The  former  is  by  the  appointment  of  God  ; 
and  unless  he  be  moved  by  the  Spirit  of  God  he 
may  not  undertake  it. 

But  in  what  way  does  God  appoint  men  to  the 
ministry  of  the  gospel  ?  That  he  does  appoint 
them  in  some  manner,  is,  I  think,  evident  from  the 
passage  just  alluded  to,  where  the  apostle  speaks 
of  ministerial  gifts  as  among  the  blessings  be- 
stowed on  his  church,  in  consequence  of  the  ascen- 
sion of  Christ. 

I  answer  :  God,  in  the  first  place,  qualifies  men 
for  this  office  by  making  them  disciples<of  Christ, 
his  renewed  and  obedient  children,  heirs  of  ever- 
lasting  life.      We    can  never   suppose    that    God 


28  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

would  emi^loy  men  who  are  his  enemies,  in  rebel- 
lion against  him,  to  persuade  others  to  be  recon- 
ciled to  him ;  that  is,  to  do  what  ^-hey  steadfastly 
refuse  to  do  themselves.  Unless  a  man  have 
within  himself  the  evidence  that  he  has  been  born 
again,  he  has  no  right  to  enter  the  ministry.  And 
on  the  other  hand,  unless  a  man  give  evidence  by 
a  Christian  life  that  he  is,  in  heart,  a  true  disciple 
of  Christ,  no  body  of  believers  can,  without  sin, 
call  him  to  the  ministry. 

The  qualifications  needful  for  the  ministry  are 
mentioned  by  the  Apostle  Paul,  in  his  epistles  to 
Timothy  and  to  Titus.  They  are  in  these  words  : 
"  A  bishop  (or,  as  it  is  in  Titus,  an  elder)  must  be 
blameless  ;  the  husband  of  one  wife  ;  vigilant ; 
sober ;  self-restrained  ;  of  good  behavior ;  given 
to  hospitality ;  apt  to  teach  ;  not  given  to  wine ; 
no  striker  ;  not  greedy  of  filthy  lucre,  but  patient ; 
not  a  brawler  ;  not  covetous  ;  one  that  ruleth  well 
his  own  house,  having  his  children  in  subjection 
with  all  gravity ;  not  a  novice,  lest,  being  lifted  up 
with  pride,  he  fall  into  the  condemnation  of  the 
devil.  Moreover,  he  must  have  a  good  report  of 
them  that  are  without,  lest  he  fall  into  reproach 
and  the  snare  of  the  devil."  Many  of  these  quali- 
fications have  reference  to  the  temptations  of  hea- 
thenism, to  which  the  first  disciples  were  greatly 
exposed.     We  cannot,  however,  read  this  passage 


A  CALL  TO  TEE  MINISTRY.  29 

without  observing  that  the  apostle  demands  of  a 
candidate  for  the  ministry  the  evidence  of  estab- 
lished, consistent  piety ;  a  piety  that  shall  manitest 
itself  not  only  to  his  brethren,  but  to  all  that  are 
without ;  and  that  in  addition  he  be  endowed  with 
aptness  to  teach,  or  a  capacity  to  instruct  others, 
or  the  gift  of  public  address.  These  qualifications 
were  certainly  quite  unlike  those  commonly  re- 
quired by  us  in  a  candidate  for  the  ministry.  In 
explanation  of  this  dissimilarity,  it  is  common  to 
refer  to  the  difference  of  civilization  which  exists 
between  the  age  of  the  apostles  and  our  own.  I 
cannot  but  suppose  that  this  difference  has  been 
much  exaggerated.  The  time  of  the  apostles  was. 
toward  the  close  of  a  period  distinguished  for 
writings  which  have  for  centuries  been  the  classics 
of  the  civilized  world.  Rome,  Corinth,  Athens, 
Ephesus,  Antioch,  and  Tarsus  were,  I  apprehend, 
as  cultivated,  as  acute,  as  tasteful,  and  as  luxurious 
as  London,  Paris,  New  York,  Boston,  or  Philadel- 
phia ;  yet  the  directions  for  ordaining  pastors  were 
given  with  reference  to  several  of  those  very 
places. 

The  Scriptures  teach  us,  that  when  a  man  comes 
to  us  with  a  message  from  God,  he  must  be  moved 
to  do  so  by  God  himself  The  prophets  who  bore 
to  the  Jewish  people  warnings,  cr  exhortations,  or 
promises  of  forgiveness,  always  declared  that  they 


so  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

spake  the  words  which  were  given  them  of  God, 
(aiid  that  they  desired  to  speak  nothing  else.  The 
apostles  refer  to  their  ijreaching  in  the  same  man- 
ner. St.  Paul  glories  in  the  fact  that,  by  exceeding 
grace,  he  was  selected  of  God  to  be  the  dispenser 
of  the  riches  of  the  gospel  to  the  Gentiles  Nor 
was  this  confined  to  the  apostles  :  the  same  Holy 
Spirit  appointed  to  the  work  of  the  ministry  the 
ordinary  overseers  or  elders  of  the  churches.  Thus 
said  Paul  to  the  elders  of  the  church  of  Ephesus, 
whom  he  met  at  Miletus  :  "  Take  heed,  therefore, 
to  yourselves,  and  to  all  the  flock  over  icJdch  the 
Holy  Ghost  hath  made  you  overseers.^  to  feed  the 
church  of  God,  which  he  hath  purchased  with  his 
own  blood."  The  same  doctrine  was  held  by  the 
reformers,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  Book  of  Prayer 
of  the  Episcopal  Cliurch.  In  the  ordination  of 
deacons,  the  bishop  demands  of  the  candidate: 
"  Do  you  trust  that  you  are  imcarclly  moved  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  take  upon  you  this  office  and  minis- 
tration, to  serve  God  for  the  promotion  of  his 
glory,  and  the  edifying  of  his  people?"  The  can- 
didate must  answer  :  "  I  trust  so."  I  suppose  this 
to  be  the  uniform  belief  of  all  the  denominations 
who  hold  the  doctrines  taught  at  the  Reformation. 
,  But  in  what  manner  does  the  Holy  Spirit  make 
"^  it  known  to  a  man  that  it  is  his  duty  to  devote 
himself  to  this  special  service  ?     He  cannot  expect 


A  CALL  TO   THE  MINISTRY,  32 

that  God  should  speak  to  him  in  an  audible  voice. 
The  Ploly  Spirit  does  not  address  men  in  that  way. 
He  must  then,  as  the  Prayer-Book  has  it,  be  "  in- 
wardhj  moved."  By  this  I  mean  that  the  Holy  \j 
Spirit  so  sets  before  a  man  liis  duty  to  serve  God  in 
tliis  manner,  that  he  can  with  a  good  conscience 
serve  him  in  no  other.  It  is  not  enough  that, 
having  surveyed  the  several  modes  of  life  open 
before  him,  he  prefers  this  one  because  his  intel- 
lectual tastes  lead  him  in  this  direction,  or  that  he 
may  thus  enjoy  a  life  of  ease  and  literary  leisure, 
or  because  if  he  chooses  this  calling  he  can  enter 
it  with  greater  ease  than  any  other.  These  are 
selfish  and  worldly  considerations,  such  as  the  Holy 
Spirit  never  puts  into  the  minds  of  men.  On  the 
contrary,  he  to  whom  the  Holy  Spirit  makes  known 
that  this  is  his  duty,  is,  in  the  first  place,  rendered 
willing  to  serve  in  any  manner  that  God  shall  see 
fit  to  designate.  He  lays  himself  and  all  that  is 
most  dear  to  him  on  the  altar,  and,  with  Saul  at 
Damascus,  only  asks  :  "  Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have 
me  to  do  ?  "  This  is  the  2:>roper  state  of  mind  for 
every  disciple  of  Christc  When  this  question  is 
asked  in  humility  and  simple  sincerity,  I  believe 
that  there  are  some  men  who  see  the  ministry  of 
the  gospel  set  before  them  as  the  only  service  in 
which  they  can  please  God.  It  is  not  for  any  tem- 
poral advantage  that  they  choose  it.     It  may  lead 


32  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

to  sacrifices,  self-denials,  the  surrender  of  many  a 
cherished  project,  the  suffering  of  much  that  flesh 
and  blood  would  gladly  escape ;  but  all  this  matters 
not.  The  voice  of  God  has  said  to  the  man :  "  This 
is  the  way,  walk  thou  in  it";  and  come  what  will, 
he  dares  not  walk  in  any  other.  The  way  may  seem 
dark  to  him,  but  from  time  to  time  tlie  promise 
whispers,  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  always" ;  and  with 
his  whole  heart  he  surrenders  himself  cheerfully  to 
the  service  of  Christ,  in  the  ministry  of  the  word. 
But  it  will  be  said  a  man  may  easily  mistake  the 
intimations  of  the  Spirit.  He  may  entertain  erro- 
neous conceptions  of  his  qualifications  for  the  min- 
istry, and  thus  place  himself  in  a  jDosition  from 
which  he  can  neither  advance  nor  retreat  without 
apparent  disgrace.  This  is  c\oubtless  true.  Many 
have  made  this  mistake,  and  never  has  it  been  more 
frequently  made,  than  when  the  view  of  a  call  to 
the  ministry  such  as  I  am  advocating  is  very 
much  forgotten.  How  many  quite  young  men, 
ignorant  of  their  own  qualifications,  attracted,  per- 
haps, by  the  apparent  pleasantness  of  the  calling, 
or  moved  by  the  injudicious  advice  of  friends,  are 
annually  placed  in  a  course  which  must  end  either 
in  the  ministry  or  disgrace !  How  many  of  those 
who  have  consumed  eight  or  nine  years  in  prepa- 
ration for  the  ministry,  find,  when  it  is  too  late, 
that  they  have  mistaken  their  calling,  and  that  the 


A   CALL   TO   TEE  MINISTRY.  33 

best  part  of  their  lives  has  been  S23ent  to  no  pur- 
pose !  They  find  that  preaching  is  not  their  voca- 
tion, and  to  enter  upon  a  wholly  secular  calling  is 
almost  impossible.  A  sort  of  medium  course  is 
taken,  by  which  they  may  labor  in  some  good  cause 
without  ostensibly  relinquishing  the  ministry. 
Hence  all  sorts  of  places  are  filled  with  ministers, 
without  charge,  who  have  devoted  their  lives  to 
Bome  other  object  than  the  preaching  of  the  gospel. 
Colleges,  academies,  schools,  derive  their  instruct- 
ors, in  a  large  proportion,  from  men  who  have  been 
educated  for  the  ministry.  Agents  for  colleges, 
solicitors  for  their  funds,  and  for  the  funds  of  all 
our  benevolent  associations,  are  taken  from  our  edu-' 
cated  clergy.  Editors  of  religious  newspapers,  and 
a  large  part  of  the  stafi*  of  such  an  establishment, 
are  taken  from  the  same  class.  In  most  of  our  be- 
nevolent associations  the  paid  offices  are  held  by 
clergymen,  except  that  of  treasurer,  which  is  always 
held  by  a  layman.  The  circulation  of  religious 
books,  in  various  forms,  is  done  by  the  same  class 
of  men.  In  view  of  these  facts,  it  is  evident  that 
many  who  prepare  for  the  ministry  have  mistaken 
their  calling,  and  therefore  a  liability  to  this  mis- 
take is  not  peculiar  to  the  view  which  I  have  taken. 
But  this  is  not  all.  It  is  not  enough  that  the 
man  believes  himself  called  to  this  work  ;  it  yet 
remains  that  his  brethren  see  in  him  the  proper 
3 


34  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

qualifications.  The  necessity  of  such  consent  of 
his  Christian  brethren  is  acknowledged  in  all  de- 
nominations. Sometimes  the  judgment  in  tliis  case 
is  left  to  the  church  of  which  the  candidate  is  a 
niember,  to  be,  in  case  of  ordination,  confirmed  by 
a  council ;  or  it  is  left  with  a  j^resbytery,  a  body 
composed,  of  ministers  and  laymen  from  the  vicin- 
ity ;  or  it  rests  with  the  presiding  elders  and 
bishops  in  the  Methodist,  or  with  the  bishop  and 
standing-committee  in  the  Episcopal  Church,  In 
the  latter  church,  the  candidates  are  presented  to 
the  bishop  by  a  minister  or  ministers,  who  are  ad- 
dressed by  him  as  follows :  "  Take  heed  that  the 
person  (or  persons)  whom  ye  present  unto  us  be 
apt  and  meet  for  their  learning  and  godly  conver- 
sation, to  exercise  their  ministry  duly  to  the  honor 
of  God  and  the  edifying  of  his  church."  The 
minister  answers :  "  I  have  inquired  concerning 
them,  and  also  examined  them,  and  think  them  so 
to  be."  These  two  evidences  then,  —  the  convic- 
tion in  the  mind  of  the  candidate  that  he  is 
"inwardly"  called  to  the  work,  and  the  belief  of 
his  brethren  that  he  possesses  the  proper  qualifica- 
tions,—  seem  to  be  generally  required  by  all  Prot- 
estant Christians.  Such,  at  least,  is  our  tlieory; 
wliether  or  not  our  jDractice  conforms  to  it,  those 
who  are  best  acquainted  with  the  facts  can  answer. 
There  is,  however,  in  both  cases,  presupposed,  a 


A  CALL  TO  TEE  MINISTRY.  85 

conviction  of  the  most  solemn  responsibility.  Both 
are  supposed  to  speak  and  act  in  view  of  their  ac- 
countability to  God.  If  the  candidate  utters  these 
words  as  a  mere  form,  if  he  declares  himself  "  in- 
wardly moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost "  to  undertake 
this  work,  while  he  is  destitute  of  any  such  con- 
sciousness, or,  if  those  who  give  him  their  sanction 
do  it  without  inquiry,  examination,  or  satisfactory 
knowledge  of  his  qualifications,  then  the  party  or 
parties  so  acting  are  guilty  of  lying  to  the  Holy 
Ghost.  If  both  parties  act  as  it  becomes  men 
under  such  responsibility,  there  will  be  no  great 
danger  of  mistake.  A  fallible  being  will  fail  some- 
where ;  but  there  is  here  as  little  liability  to  failure 
as  falls  to  men  in  any  of  the  ordinary  affairs  of 

life. 

Yours,  truly* 


LETTER    III. 

IN  WHAT  SENSE  IS  THE  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL 
A  PROFESSION  1 

My  Dear  Brother  : 
T  THINK  you  must  have  observed  a  change 
^  which  has  taken  place,  within  the  period  of 
your  recollection,  in  the  terms  which  are  used  in 
speaking  of  the  ministry.  It  has  become  common 
to  class  the  ministry  with  what  are  called  the  lib- 
eral or  learned  professions,  especially  those  of  law 
and  medicine.  Thus  a  young  man  will  frequently 
speak  of  the  profession  which  he  shall  choose, 
compare  the  various  agreeables  and  disagreeables 
of  each,  deliberately  weighing  the  rate  of  compen- 
sation of  each,  and  measuring  the  opportunity 
which  each  offers  for  mental  improvement,  and  for 
ease  and  comfort  in  living. 

After  it  has  been  taken  for  granted  that  the  min- 
istry of  the  gospel  is  a  liberal  profession,  standing 
on  the  same  ground  as  other  professions,  the  ques- 
tion naturally  arises,  why  should  not  the  same 
rules  of  conduct  apply  equally  to  all  ?  Thus  the 
lawyer,  or  physician,  who  has  spent  time  and  money 


IS  TEE  MINIS  TRY  A  PR  OFESSION  f  37 

in  his  professional  education,  feels  perfectly  at  lib- 
erty to  labor  where  he  shall  receive  the  largest 
compensation  :  why  should  not  a  minister  do  the 
same  ?  Professional  men,  if  they  can  command 
the  means,  consider  it  appropriate  to  live  in  ease 
and  luxury :  why  should  this  profession  be  an 
exception  ?  Men  in  other  professions,  if  their  en- 
gagements will  allow  it,  cast  off  the  cares  of  busi- 
ness, and  spend  some  part  of  the  year  in  physical 
enjoyment  at  places  of  fashionable  resort :  why 
should  not  a  minister  do  likewise?     The  leadinor 

o 

members  of  a  church  or  congregation  in  a  city  fre- 
quently spend  a  year  or  two  in  visiting  the  cities 
of  Europe,  looking  at  paintings  and  sculpture, 
gazing  at  buildings,  and  attending  various  public 
exhibitions  of  artistic  excellence  :  why  should  not 
a  pastor  indulge  himself  in  these  enjoyments  as 
well  as  his  people ;  and  if  the  means  are  provided 
for  him,  why  should  he  not  avail  himself  of  the 
opportunity?  The  families  of  professional  men 
enter  commonly  into  what  are  called  the  innocent 
gayeties  of  life,  and  thus  unite  with  the  opulent 
in  forming  a  caste  for  themselves :  why  should 
not  the  family  of  a  minister  enjoy  this  privilege 
when  it  is  proffered  to  hira  ?  All  these  questions 
naturally  arise  after  it  is  taken  for  granted  that  the  / 
ministry  is  a  profession, — that  is,  a  way  of  earning 
a  living  by  the  labor  of  the  mind  rather  than  of 


38  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

the  body,  —  and  entitled  to  all  that  is  common  to 
those  who  obtain  their  living  in  this  manner.  I 
say  these  questions  will  naturally  arise.  I  say 
more :  if  we  grant  the  premises,  we  must  answer 
them  all  in  the  same  manner. 

But  let  us  go  back  a  little.  Is  the  gospel  a  pro- 
fession, in  the  sense  in  which  this  word  is  commonly 
understood  ? 

There  is  one  point  of  view,  and  only  one,  from 
which  there  is  seen  any  analogy  between  the  min- 
istry of  the  gospel,  and  the  professions  of  which 
we  have  spoken.  The  term  profession  is  com- 
monly  used  to  designate  those  callings  whose  ob- 
\|  iect  it  is  to  teach  us  the  laws  by  which  we  should 
regulate  our  conduct  in  the  various  circumstances 
of  life.  The  lawyer  teaches  us  how  to  avail  ourselves 
of  the  laws  of  the  land,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
our  rights  and  redressing  our  wrongs.  The  physi- 
cian teaches  us  how  to  obey  the  physical  laws  under 
which  we  are  created,  so  that  we  may  preserve  our 
health,  or  regain  it  when  it  has  become  impaired. 
The  minister  of  religion  teaches  us  how  we  may 
secure  the  favor  of  God  and  prepare  in  this  life  for 
the  life  that  is  to  come.  In  this  respect  there  is  a 
general  analogy  between  all  these  callings,  and 
therefore  the  political  economist  places  them  in  the 
eame  class  of  laborers. 

In  every  other  respect,  I  think,  the  ministry  dif- 


IS  THE  MINIS  TRY  A  PRO  FESSION  f  39 

fers  essentially  both  from  the  professions  and  every 
other  calling  in  life. 

1.  In  the  selection  of  any  other  occupation  than 
that  of  the  ministry,  a  man  is  governed  by  his  own 
individual  choice.  He  follows  the  bias  of  his  own 
mind,  or  the  dictates  of  expediency ;  he  chooses 
that  which  opens  the  most  promising  field  for  the 
display  of  his  own  peculiar  talent,  or  which  will, 
in  the  shortest  time,  secure  for  him  competence  or 
opulence,  or  which  will  lead  most  directly  to  po- 
litical eminence,  if  perchance  he  has  bowed  down 
to  that  seductive  idol.  Having  settled  those  ques- 
tions satisfactorily  to  himself,  he  forms  his  decision, 
and  acts  accordingly ;  he  has  nothing  further  to 
ask,  and  he  is  satisfied  that  his  inquiries  have  cov- 
ered the  whole  ground. 

With  the  minister  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ 
it  is  entirely  different.  He  does  not  enter  upon 
this  calling  because  it  will  lead  to  temporal  ad- 
vancement, to  ease,  or  wealth,  or  power,  or  because 
it  will  gratify  his  desire  for  intellectual  investiga- 
tion, or  afford  occasions  for  the  cultivation  of  taste  ; 
he  undertakes  this  service  because  he  believes  that  / 
he  is  "  inwardly  moved  to  do  so  by  the  Holy  ^ 
Spirit."  The  conviction  is  fastened  upon  his  con- 
science that  he  must  do  it  or  he  will  displease  God, 
and  that  in  no  other  course  of  life  can  he  ask  for 
bio  blessing.     He  feels  that  God  has  spoken  to  him, 


^ 


40  MINISTRY  OF   THE  GOSPEL. 

and  he  dares  not  disobey.  Other  callings  are 
chosen  from  views  of  mere  temporal  expediency  ; 
this  is  undertaken  in  obedience  to  the  commands 
of  God,  addressed  to  his  individual  soul. 

2.  The  relation  of  the  professional  man  to  his  em- 
ployers, is  essentially  that  of  principal  and  agent. 
Tlie  employer  is  the  principal ;  the  lawyer  or  phy- 
sician is  the  agent.  His  services  are  required  for 
the  purpose  of  doing  for  the  principal  what  he  can- 
not do  for  himself  If  the  agent  faithfully  serves 
his  principal,  and  the  principal  honorably  pays  the 
agent,  the  whole  case  is  closed.  So  far  as  the  pro- 
fessional relation  is  concerned,  it  is  a  contract  ex- 
clusively between  the  two  parties  ;  and,  when  each 
has  performed  faithfully  his  part  of  the  agreement, 
we  look  for  nothing  beyond. 

But  the  ministry  of  the  gospel  is  of  a  totally 
different  character.  The  minister  is  an  agent,  but 
-^^his  principal  is  neither  client  nor  patient,  nor  con- 
gregation, but  Almighty  God.  He  is  appointed  of 
God  to  perform  a  special  service,  and  to  God  is  he 
responsible.  He  may  preach  so  as  to  please  his 
congregation  ;  they  may  pay  him  punctually  and 
liberally ;  they  may  applaud  his  efforts,  and  be 
proud  of  his  talents,  v/hile  both  he  and  they,  in  this 
very  thing,  are  odious  in  the  sight  of  God ;  and  he, 
especially,  who  has  undertaken  the  cure  of  their 
souls,  may  be  fixing  upon  himself  the  doom  of  the 


IS  THE  MINISTRY  A  PROFESSlONf  41 

unprofitable  servant.  God  has  sent  him  to  deliver 
his  message  to  this  people ;  has  he  delivered  it  ? 
He  may  have  all  the  while  been  delivering  some- 
thing else,  or  he  may  have  delivered  something 
like  it,  but  so  modified  to  please  his  hearers,  or 
gain  for  himself  a  reputation,  that  God  never  ac- 
knowledges it  as  his  communication  to  sinful  men. 
The  command  of  the  Master  is,  that  he  preach  the 
preaching  which  the  Sj^irit  gives  him,  whether  men 
will  hear,  or  whether  they  will  forbear;  and  if  he 
do  not  obey  the  command,  however  much  men  may 
applaud,  he  can  expect  nothing  but  the  frown  of 
an  offended  God. 

And  hence,  though  he  make  a  contract  with  his 
people  as  to  the  kind  and  amount  of  his  labor,  this 
is  no  justification  in  the  sight  of  God.  This 
cannot  annul  the  command  which  God  imposed 
upon  him  when  he  undertook  this  service.  His 
people  may  be  willing  that  he  should  preach  only 
so  often  in  the  week ;  that  he  should  never  visit 
them  for  the  purpose  of  religious  conversation  ;  and 
that  for  so  long  a  time  in  the  year  he  should  be  free 
from  all  pastoral  labor.  His  brethren,  at  his  ordina- 
tion, besides  urging  upon  the  people  the  very  proper 
duty  of  paying  him  punctually,  may  teach  them  that 
they  must  not  expect  him  to  spend  his  time  in  pas- 
toral visitation,  but  take  it  for  granted,  that,  if  he 
do  not  perform  this  labor,  he  is  deeply  engaged  in 


42  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

Study  for  their  benefit,  pouring  out  his  soul  with 
strong  crying  and  tears  for  their  conversion.  All 
this  may  be  done,  but  yet  it  .alters  not  the  case. 
His  principal  is  neither  his  people  nor  his  brethren, 
but  the  ascended  Saviour ;  and  at  the  last  day  he 
will  find  it  to  be  a  small  thing  to  be  judged  by 
man's  judgment.  He  that  judgeth  him  is  the 
Lord. 

When  Paul  was  bidding  farewell  to  the  church 
at  Ephesus,  with  whom  he  had  labored  as  pastor  for 
three  years,  he  did  not  place  his  confidence  that  he 
was  free  from  the  blood  of  all  men  on  the  ground 
that  he  had  kept  the  pulpit  regularly  supplied,  and 
had  done  everything  that  they  had  employed  him 
to  do;  nor  did  they  take  comfort  to  themselves 
that  they  had  paid  his  salary  quarterly,  and  in  acts 
of  kindness  had  gone  even  beyond  their  engage- 
ment. The  apostle's  retrospect  of  his  services,  and 
of  the  account  which  he  was  to  render,  was  of 
another  kind.  "Ye  know,"  said  he,  "from  the 
first  day  that  I  came  into  Asia,  after  what  manner 
I  have  been  with  you  at  all  seasons,  serving  the 
Lord  with  all  humility  of  mind,  and  how  I  kept 
back  nothing  that  was  profitable  unto  you,  but 
have  showed  you  and  taught  you  publicly,  and 
fi'om  house  to  house,  testifying  both  to  the  Jews 
and  to  the  Greeks  repentance  towards  God,  and 
faith  towards  the   Lord   Jesus   Christ.     Neither 


IS  THE  MINISTRY  A  PROFESSION!  43 

count  I  my  life  clear  to  myself,  so  that  I  might  fin- 
ish ray  course  with  joy,  and  the  ministry  which  I 
have  received  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  testify  the  gos- 
pel of  the  grace  of  God.  Wherefore  I  take  you 
to  record  this  day,  that  I  am  pure  from  the  blood 
of  all  men  ;  for  I  have  not  shunned  to  declare  to 
you  the  whole  counsel  of  God.  Take  heed  to  your- 
selves, and  to  the  whole  flock  over  which  the  Holy 
Ghost  hath  made  you  overseers,  to  feed  the  flock 
of  God  which  he  hath  purchased  with  his  own 
blood.  Therefore  watch ;  and  remember  that  by 
the  space  of  three  years  I  have  not  ceased  to  warn 
every  one,  day  and  night,  with  tears.  I  have  coveted 
no  man's  silver,  or  gold,  or  apparel ;  ye  yourselves 
know  that  these  hands  have  ministered  unto  my 
necessities,  and  those  that  were  with  me.  I  have 
showed  you  all  things,  how  that  so  laboring  ye 
ought  to  support  the  weak ;  and  to  remember  the 
words  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  It  is  more  blessed  to  give 
than  to  receive." 

Again,  the  rewards  promised  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment to  the  minister  of  the  gospel,  are  not  tempo- 
ral, but  eternal.  They  were  warned  by  the  Saviour 
to  expect  from  the  world  persecution,  and  ^very 
form  of  ill-treatment.  This  was  declared  to  be  the 
lot  of  all  the  disciples.  So,  at  the  close  of  his  life, 
Paul  declared  that  all  who  will  live  godly  in  Christ 
Jesus  must  suffer  persecution.     The  normal  rela- 


44  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

tion  of  the  church  to  the  world  renders  this  almost 
a  necessity.  Jesus  intends  his  disciples  to  be,  in 
the  practice  of  every  virtue,  far  in  advance  of  the 
world  that  lieth  in  wickedness.  But  to  be  thus  in 
advance  of  the  world,  and  by  precept  and  example 
to  bear  testimony  against  its  i^revailing  practices, 
must,  of  course,  arouse  its  ill-will.  This  may  show 
itself  in  various  ways,  according  to  the  progress  of 
civilization  and  the  more  perfect  knowledge  of  the 
rights  of  man.  In  the  times  of  the  Apostle,  the 
Jews  stoned  and  the  Romans  beheaded  or  crucified 
a  faithful  preacher  of  Christ.  In  the  times  of 
Whitfield,  they  assaulted  him  with  dead  cats  and 
rotten  eggs.  At  other  times,  uncompromising  and 
consistent  obedience  to  Christ  will  occasion  many 
a  cold  look,  frequent  accusations  of  fanaticism  and 
hypocrisy,  and  an  eagerness  to  fabricate  and  hear 
and  believe  anything  to  his  disadvantage.  At 
times  when  the  profession  of  religion  has  degener- 
ated into  formalism,  it  not  unfrequently  hai^pens, 
that  to  the  contradiction  of  sinners  there  is  added 
the  contradiction  of  saints.  For  a  large  share  of 
this  ill-will,  the  minister  who  fearlessly  inculcates 
the  obligation  to  live  a  godly  and  self-denying 
life,  and  urges  upon  all  men  the  necessity  of  re- 
pentance and  faith  in  Christ  as  absolutely  necessary 
to  salvation,  must  prepare  himself.  Observe  the 
evidences  of  a  true  ministerial  character  in  the 


18  THE  MINIS  THY  A  PROFESSIONS  45 

view  of  the  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles  :  "In  all  things 
approving  ourselves  as  the  ministers  of  God,  in 
much  patience,  in  afllictions,  in  necessities,  in  dis- 
tresses, in  strifes,  in  imprisonments,  in  tumults, 
in  labors,  in  watchings,  in  fastings :  by  pureness, 
by  knowledge,  by  long-suffering,  by  kindness,  by 
the  Holy  Ghost,  by  love  unfeigned,  by  the  word 
of  truth,  by  the  power  of  God,  by  the  armor  of 
righteousness  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left,  by 
honor  and  dishonor,  by  evil  report  and  good  report: 
as  deceivers,  and  yet  true  ;  as  unknown,  and  yet 
well  known ;  as  dying,  and  behold  we  live ;  as 
chastened,  and  not  killed ;  as  sorrowful,  yet  always 
rejoicing;  as  poor,  yet  making  many  rich;  as 
having  nothing,  yet  possessing  all  things." 

It  has  sometimes  occurred  to  me  that  the  evi- 
dences by  which  a  clergyman  might  at  the  present 
time  show  that  he  had  been  a  successful  minister 
of  Christ,  would  be  somewhat  unlike  those  of  the 
Apostle  Paul.  It  might  be  something  like  this: 
"At  an  early  age  I  lost  both  of  my  parents  by 
death,  and,  after  obtaining  the  advantages  of  a  com- 
mon-school education,  was  under  the  necessity  of 
earning  my  own  living.  While  thus  occupied,  dur- 
ing a  revival  in  my  native  town  I  became,  as  I  trust, 
the  subject  of  divine  grace,  and  entered  upon  a 
Christian  life  with  all  the  zeal  of  a  new  convert.  I 
frequently  spoke  and  prnyed  in  the  meetings  of 


46  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

persons  of  my  own  age.  Soon,  to  my  surprise,  the 
older  brethren  in  the  church  urged  me  to  prepare 
for  the  ministry.  Being  destitute  of  the  means  for 
procuring  an  education,  they  assured  me  that  by  the 
aid  of  the  Education  Society,  together  with  that 
of  Christian  friends,  I  might,  without  difficulty,  be 
carried  through  a  course  of  classical  and  theological 
education,  and,  under  the  best  auspices,  enter  the 
ministry  of  the  gospel.  I  had  never  thought  of 
the  subject  until  it  was  suggested  to  me,  but  the 
proposal  was  too  flattering  to  be  disregarded.  I 
was  at  once  liberated  from  my  previous  engage- 
ment, and  entered  the  academy  at  A. 

"  Here  I  found  myself  in  the  midst  of  young  men 
quite  unlike  those  with  whom  I  had  previously 
associated,  and  I  painfully  felt  my  deficiencies. 
Being  fond  of  study,  however,  and  possessing, 
perhaps  I  may  say  without  vanity,  somewhat  more 
than  the  usual  facility  for  acquisition  and  adapta- 
tion, I  was  soon  able  to  place  myself  on  a  par  with 
the  best  of  them.  In  due  time  I  left  the  academy, 
with  flattering  testimonials,  and  entered  the  col- 
lege at  B. 

"At  colles^e  I  maintained  the  standingr  I  had 
already  acquired,  and,  to  quote  the  words  of  the 
apostle,  profited  above  many  that  were  my  equals. 
I  regret,  however,  to  say,  that  my  religious  princi- 
ples did  not  here  gain  either  in  depth  or  earnest- 


IS  TEE  MINIS  TRr  A  PR  OF  ESS  I  ON?  47 

ness.  I  felt  that  I  was  for  the  time  preparing  for 
future  usefulness  by  intellectual  improvement,  and 
that  this  must  be  the  object  of  my  greatest  solici- 
tude. My  officers  of  instruction  were  all  pi-ofessors 
of  religion,  and  some  of  them  clergymen  ;  but  they 
seemed  to  think  their  duty  discharged  when  they 
had  awakened  in  us  a  love  of  science  and  letters, t/ 
and  during  my  whole  residence  but  one  of  them 
ever  conversed  with  me  on  the  subject  of  personal 
religion.  My  piety  suffered  in  consequence,  though 
I  was  guilty  of  no  immoral  conduct,  and  was  a  fre- 
quent attendant  upon  the  meetings  for  prayer.  I 
must,  however,  confess,  that  bearing  the  cross  for 
Christ  had  not  many  practical  advocates  among  us. 
At  the  close  of  my  course  I  received  an  appoint- 
ment which  gratified  my  friends,  and  graduated 
with  the  ^putation  of  being  a  correct  disciple  of 
Christ. 

"At  the  seminary,  which  I  immediately  entered, 
my  religious  life  was,  in  most  respects,  the  same. 
At  first,  the  thought  that  I  was  now  irrevocably  com- 
mitted to  the  ministry,  produced  in  me  a  feehng 
of  solemnity.  I  prayed  more  frequently  and  more 
earnestly,  and  strove  to  consecrate  myself  anew  to 
God.  Soon,  however,  I  became  more  than  ever 
absorbed  in  study,  and  these  feelings  gradually 
subsided.  The  kind  of  places  most  to  be  desired 
in  the  ministry,  was  a  frequent  subject  of  our  con- 


48  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

versation,  and  I  labored  assiduously  to  prepare 
myself  for  a  prominent  position  in  our  church.  Xor 
was  my  labor  wholly  in  vain.  I  received  several 
invitations  to  preach,  as  a  candidate,  as  soon  as  my 
theological  course  was  completed.  I  settled  at 
once  in  the  flourishing  village  of  C,  at  a  salary  of 
one  thousand  dollars  per  annum.  I  preferred  this  to 
a  more  public  situation  because  its  duties  were  not 
oppressive,  and  I  should  have  leisure  to  pursue  with 
less  interruption  the  studies  which  I  had  com- 
menced, and  thus  prepare  for  more  extended  useful- 
ness. Here  I  succeeded  in  building  up  a  prosperous 
society,  and,  beyond  my  merits,  was  esteemed  one 
of  the  most  promising  ministers  in  that  vicinity. 

"I  had  been  seven  years  pastor  of  the  church  at 
C,  when  I  received  a  call  from  a  church  in  the  city 
of  D.,  one  of  the  most  wealthy  societies  of  our 
denomination  in  that  metropolis.  The  salary  was 
such,  and  the  field  of  usefulness  so  great,  that  the 
call  seemed  irresistible.  It  placed  me  at  once  in 
affluence,  while  the  labor,  beyond  preparation  for 
the  Sabbath,  was  left  very  much  at  my  discretion. 
The  miscellaneous  business  of  such  a  position  I 
knew  to  be  great,  but  I  was  at  liberty  to  undertake 
as  much  or  as  little  of  it  as  I  chose  ;  and  I  suppose 
I  have  rather  an  aptitude  for  executive  affairs.  I 
was  always  earnest  in  the  cause  of  education,  and 
succeeded  in  inducing  my  chiu'ch,  a  few  years  after 


IS  THE  MINISTRY  A  PROFESSION  t  49 

my  settlement,  to  establish  a  professorship  in  the 
college  at  which  I  was  graduated.  At  the  follow- 
ing commencement,  to  my  astonishment,  I  was 
honored  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  in  Divinity. 
My  people  have  twice  sent  me  to  Europe,  paying 
all  my  expenses.  They  allow  me  as  much  time  as 
I  desire  for  recreation,  by  which  means  I  have  been 
in  the  enjoyment  of  excellent  health.  My  house 
is  in  one  of  the  pleasantest  parts  of  the  city,  and  is 
as  well  furnished  as  that  of  professional  men  gen- 
erally. In  my  family  I  have  been  greatly  blessed. 
Two  of  my  sons  occupy  prominent  positions : 
one  as  a  lawyer,  and  the  other  as  a  partner  in  a 
most  respectable  mercantile  house.  The  youngest 
has  entered  the  ministry,  and  has  for  some  time 
been  settled  in  the  city  of  E.  My  two  daughters 
are  both  well  married,  and  I  am  surrounded  with 
every  blessing  which  the  kindness  and  respect  of 
the  community  can  confer.  Through  the  blessing 
of  God,  I  am  permitted  to  look  back  on  my  life  and 
thank  him  for  leading  me  into  the  ministry ;  for 
rendering  that  ministry  so  successful,  and  bestow- 
ing on  me  so  many  tokens  of  his  favor.  I  could 
not  have  been  happier  had  I  chosen  any  other  pro- 
fession. Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul!  and  forget 
not  all  his  benefits." 

I  ask,  would  not  this  be  considered  a  very  suc- 
cessful ministry  ?     Is  it  not,  however,  greatly  un- 
4 


50  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

like  that  of  St.  Paul  ?  The  one  represents  the 
apostolic,  the  other  the  professional  view  of  the 
minister  of  the  gospel. 

But  we  may  consider  this  subject  from  a  some- 
what different  point  of  view.  We  may  profitably 
reflect  on  the  terms  by  which  the  ministry  is  desig- 
nated, and  the  human  callings  with  which  it  is 
most  in  analogy.  We  observe,  then,  that  the  min- 
ister of  Christ  is,  in  the  New  Testament,  frequently 
called  a  steward ;  that  is,  the  upper  servant  in  a 
large  household,  whose  principal  duty  it  is  to  dis- 
tribute to  the  other  servants  their  daily  provisions. 
Thus  the  apostle  addresses  the  Corinthians:  "Let 
a  man  so  account  of  us  as  ministers  of  Christ,  and 
stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God.  Moreover,  it  is 
required  of  stewards  that  a  man  be  found  faithful." 
"But  with  me  it  is  a  very  small  thing  that  I  should 
be  judged  of  you,  or  of  man's  judgment :  yea,  I 
judge  not  mine  own  self;  for  I  know  nothing  of 
myself  [that  is,  I  have  no  consciousness  of  acting 
unfaithfully],  yet  am  I  not  hereby  justified.  He 
that  judgeth  me  is  the  Lord."  The  apostle  fre- 
quently in  his  epistles  refers  to  this  view  of  his 
ofiice.  He  exults  that  the  dispensation  of  the  gos- 
pel —  that  is,  the  duty  of  dispensing  it  as  a  steward 
—  is  committed  to  him. 

A  steward  is  the  person  in  the  household  to 
whom  the  master  comxnits  the  duty  of  distributing 


IS  THE  MINISTRY  A  PROFESSION t  51 

to  the  servants  the  provisions  needful  for  every 
day.  That  which  he  distributes  is  wholly  the  prop- 
erty of  his  proprietor,  not  a  particle  of  it  belongs 
to  himself;  and  if  he  use  any  of  it  for  his  personal 
advantage,  he  is  an  unfaithful  servant.  In  distrib- 
uting it  among  his  fellow-servants,  he  has  no  right 
to  make  nse  of  anything  that  has  not  been  put 
into  his  hands  for  this  purpose.  He  has  power  over 
that  committed  to  him,  and  no  more ;  but  what 
has  been  thus  committed  he  must  distribute  to  the 
last  atom,  for  it  is  required  of  stewards  that  a  man 
be  found  faithful.  His  fellow-servants  may  desire 
something  more,  or  something  different,  but  he 
dares  not  listen  to  them  for  a  moment.  They  may 
dislike  the  food,  and  ill-treat  him  because  he  will 
not  yield  to  their  wishes.  But  all  this  matters  not ; 
his  account  is  not  to  be  rendered  to  them,  but  to 
his  master;  and  therefore  it  is  a  small  thing  to  be 
judged  by  their  judgment.  Nay,  though  he  is 
conscious  of  no  intentional  error,  yet,  having  to 
render  his  account  to  one  who  will  examine  it  with 
the  most  scrupulous  exactness,  he  frequently  trem- 
bles lest  at  last  he  should  be  found  wanting. 

Thus  is  it  with  the  minister  of  Christ.  He  is 
entrusted  by  the  Master  with  the  duty  of  dispens- 
ing to  his  fellow-men  the  truth  which  God  has 
revealed  to  them;  but  especially  with  the  news  to 
a  perishing  world  of  salvation  by  the  blood  of 


52  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

Christ.  They  are  not  his  own  ideas,  but  the  ideas 
of  God.  He  must  deliver  them  all,  keeping  back 
nothing.  He  must  communicate  them  to  others 
just  as  he  receives  them  from  the  holy  oracle. 
His  fellow-men  may  like  a  part  and  not  the  whole, 
or  they  may  prefer  something  different ;  but  it  all 
matters  not:  he  must  dispense  precisely  what  has 
been  committed  to  him  in  the  written  word, 
through  the  illumination  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  His 
account  has  not  to  be  rendered  to  them,  but  to 
God,  who  trieth  the  heart ;  therefore  it  is  a  small 
thing  to  be  judged  by  them,  or  of  man's  judgment. 
God  has  entrusted  him  with  the  good  news  of  sal- 
vation, and  this  he  must  make  known  in  simplicity 
and  godly  sincerity  to  all  men ;  for  every  child  of 
Adam  must  perish  without  it.  He  must  do  this 
everywhere,  with  unshrinking  faithfulness.  What 
men  may  think  of  him  is  a  very  trifling  matter. 
It  can  neither  condemn  nor  justify  him,  for  it  is 
not  before  their  tribunal  that  he  is  to  appear. 
Nay,  though  aware  of  no  dereliction  in  duty,  he 
dares  not  rely  on  his  own  consciousness  of  rectitude 
as  a  justification  before  an  all-seeing  God.  Having 
done  all,  he  casts  himself  and  all  his  services  at  the 
foot  of  the  cross,  that,  sprinkled  with  atoning  blood, 
they  may,  through  the  merits  of  the  Saviour,  be 
accepted,  having  been  cleansed  through  him  from 
all  imperfection. 


IS  THE  MINISTRY  A  PROFESSION?  53 

But  we  must  go  further,  and  reflect  on  the  rela- 
tion which  the  gospel  steward  sustains  to  his  fellow- 
men.  He  is  sent  to  men  perishing  by  famine  and 
dying  around  him.  The  food  which  he  dispenses 
is  all  that  has  ever  been  given  for  the  supply  of 
their  wants ;  aside  from  it  there  is  no  possible  pro- 
vision. They,  however,  have  no  appetite  for  the 
food  which  he  has  to  dispense,  nor  any  confidence 
in  the  benevolent  proprietor  who  has  sent  him. 
The  duty  of  the  steward,  then,  is  not  completed 
when  he  has  merely  set  the  food  before  them.  He 
must,  by  every  means  in  his  power,  strive  to  per- 
suade them  to  partake  of  it,  and  "  compel  them  to 
come  in."  No  matter  who  they  are, — rich  or  poor, 
young  or  old,  wise  or  unwise,  learned  or  ignorant, 
—  all  are  perishing,  and  he  must  endeavor  to  save 
them  all.  He  must  use  every  means  to  show  to 
them  their  danger ;  he  must  convince  them  that 
their  necessity  admits  of  no  delay ;  he  must  teach 
them  the  character  of  the  benevolent  proprietor ; 
he  must  exhibit  to  them  the  effect  which  the  food 
which  he  offers  has  produced  upon  others;  and 
above  all  exemplify  the  effect  which  it  has  produced 
upon  himself,  once  perishing  like  themselves,  but 
now  enjoying  all  the  vigor  of  spiritual  health,  and 
never  cease  until  he  sees  them  turn  their  fainting 
eyes  toward  the  rich  provision  that  has  been  made 
for  them,  eat  it,  and   live  forever.     Would   the 


54  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

Steward  who  should  do  less  than  this  deserve  the 
name  of  a  man  ?  Could  he  who  would  not  exert 
every  energy  in  such  a  ease  be  found  faithful  in 
the  sight  of  man  ;  be  clear  in  his  own  conscience  ; 
and,  what  is  infinitely  more  important,  meet  the 
approbation  of  the  Lord  who  judgeth  him? 

There  is  another  calling  among  men  by  which 
the  minister  of  the  gospel  is  designated  :  it  is  that 
of  an  ambassador.  Now,  then,  "  we  are  ambassa- 
dors for  Christ;  as  though  God  did  beseech  you  by 
us,  we  pray  you,  in  Christ's  stead,  be  ye  reconciled 
to  God." 

The  office  of  ambassador  is  peculiar.  He  is  an 
individual  sent  from  one  government  to  another 
to  negotiate  matters  of  difference  between  them. 
He  has  no  more  original  authority  than  any  other 
citizen.  He  is  limited  exclusively  by  his  instruc- 
tions ;  he  may  neither  go  beyond  nor  fall  short  of 
them,  nor  in  any  respect  modify  or  alter  them. 
He  must  deliver  the  message  precisely  as  he  has 
received  it.  If  he  vary  at  all  from  his  instructions, 
the  act  is  his  own,  and  not  the  act  of  the  govern- 
ment, and  his  government  is  under  no  obligation 
to  ratify  it.  So  long,  however,  as  he  acts  precisely 
within  the  limit  of  his  instructions,  his  act  is  the 
act  of  his  government,  and  in  every  result  it  is 
bound  to  ratify  it  and  hold  him  harmless. 

Now  the  race  of  man  has  revolted  from  the 


IS  THE  MINISTRY  A  PROFESSION?  55 

authority  of  God,  and  is,  at  this  moment,  in  rebel- 
lion against  him.  He  has  provided  a  most  mer- 
ciful way  for  their  return  to  their  allegiance,  and 
has  sent  his  ministers  as  ambassadors  to  offer 
them  terms  of  reconciliation.  The  instructions  by 
which  they  are  to  be  governed  in  this  embassy 
are  made  known  in  the  New  Testament.  These 
they  have  n.o  authority  to  enlarge,  abridge,  alter, 
or  modify.  They  are  to  make  them  known  to  all 
men,  in  all  plainness  and  simplicity.  All  are 
engaged  in  this  rebellion,  and  to  all,  young  or  old, 
polished  or  rude,  learned  or  unlearned,  the  mes- 
sage of  God  is  to  be  delivered.  If  the  professed 
minister  of  Christ  propose  any  terms  not  offered 
by  his  Sovereign,  or  if  he  fail  to  make  them  known 
in  all  clearness,  or  if  he  clothe  them  in  language 
which  cannot  be  understood,  the  souls  of  men  are 
lost,  and  he  must  be  responsible  to  his  Sovereign. 
If,  especially,  he  make  the  delivery  of  this  message 
the  means  of  securing  personal  advantage,  instead 
of  faithfully  making  known  the  will  of  the  Master, 
he  is  false  to  his  trust;  and  the  souls  of  sinners, 
which  he  has  bartered  away  for  the  applause  of 
men,  will  be  required  at  his  hands. 

But  the  case  of  the  ambassador  of  Christ  has 
some  peculiarities.  The  ambassador  ordinarily  is 
commissioned  to  a  government,  and  all  his  deal- 
ing is  with   it,  and   not  at  all  with   individuals. 


56  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

He  must  make  bis  communication  to  the  officers 
of  state,  and  to  them  exclusively.  Not  so  with 
the  ambassador  of  Christ.  In  the  Old  Testament 
we  find  nations  addressed,  and  the  communica- 
tions from  God  are  to  them,  and  especially  to 
their  rulers.  In  the  New  Testament  we  perceive 
nothing  of  the  kind ;  and  but  for  the  fact  of  perse- 
cutions, we  should  have  no  mention  of  nations  as 
such,  or  of  the  magistrates  who  governed  them. 
The  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  a  communication 
made  from  God  to  each  indimdual  of  the  human 
race.  It  is  good  news  to  be  made  known  to  eiiery 
creature.  The  ambassador  is  therefore  sent  with 
his  message,  not  to  collective  masses,  but  to  every 
individual  soul. 

And  again,  an  ambassador  among  men  is  com- 
missioned to  make  knoion  to  those  to  whom  he  is 
seht,  simply  the  message  of  his  sovereign.  He 
has  no  command  to  persuade  them  to  accept  of 
the  terms  which  he  ofiers.  When  he  has,  in  faith- 
fulness and  kindness,  made  them  known,  his  duty 
is  accomplished,  and  the  responsibility  rests  with 
them.  But  with  the  ambassador  of  Christ  the 
case  is  different.  The  Sovereign  who  has  sent 
him,  the  eternal  God,  has  manifested  the  most 
intense  desire  that  our  rebellious  race  should  be 
reconciled  to  him.  He  has  made  the  most  costly 
offering  in  the  universe  to  render  our  return  to 


IS  THE  MINISTRY  A  PROFESSIONS  57 

him  possible.  He  has  sent  his  Holy  Spirit  to 
impress  the  truth  upon  the  consciences  of  men, 
and  having  done  all  this,  —  oh,  infinite  condescen- 
sion !  —  he  draws  near,  and  beseeches  us  to  be 
reconciled  to  him.  The  ambassador  of  such  a 
Father  in  heaven  to  his  erring  and  lost  children 
has  far  more  to  do  than  officially  to  deliver  his 
message.  He  is  the  messenger  to  man  of  a 
beseeching  God.  Can  he  do  less  than  devote  his 
whole  energy  to  the  work  of  persuading  men  to 
return  to  their  Esther  in  heaven  ?  The  gospel 
feast  is  prepared,  and  he  is  sent  to  scour  the  coun- 
try—  to  go  to  the  "highways  and  hedges,  and 
compel  them  to  come  in."  At  home  and  abroad, 
publicly  and  from  house  to  house,  among  the  poor 
and  despised  as  much  as  among  the  rich  and  the 
jDOwerful,  among  the  young  and  the  old,  he  is 
everywhere  to  plead  with  men  to  be  reconciled 
to  God.  By  every  motive  derived  from  the  law 
by  which  we  are  to  be  judged,  from  the  holiness 
and  the  love  of  God,  from  the  self-sacrificing  com- 
passion of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  from  the  fulness 
and  freeness  of  the  ofier  of  salvation,  from  the 
eternal  realities  of  a  world  of  happiness  and  a 
world  of  woe,  he  is  to  urge  men  to  be  reconciled 
to  God  through  the  death  of  his  well-beloved 
Son.  In  a  word,  the  ambassador  of  Christ  is  to 
devote  his  whole  being  to  the  work  of  preparing 


58  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

souls  for  heaven,  to  the  conversion  of  men  from 
sin  to  holiness,  presenting  them  "  without  spot  or 
wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing,  before  the  throne  of 
God." 

Is  this  any  more  than  a  simple,  though  very 
imperfect  statement  of  the  duties  of  the  ministry 
of  the  gospel,  as  they  are  made  known  in  the  word 
of  God  ?  Is  it,  in  any  respect,  exaggerated  ?  If 
in  any,  in  what  ?  It  is  not  exaggerated ;  for  no 
language  can  exaggerate  its  responsibility.  We 
all  know  the  solemn  errand  on  which  the  Son  of 
God  visited  our  earth  ;  and  he  himself  has  said, 
"  As  my  Father  has  sent  me,  so  send  I  you."  We 
are  sent  to  do  the  same  work  (the  atonement  of 
course  excepted)  for  which  God  became  incarnate, 
and  who  is  sufficient  for  these  things  ? 

Is  this  work,  then,  to  be  accomplished  by  weekly 
lectures  on  some  social  duty,  enforced  from  the 
teaching  of  natural  conscience ;  or  by  a  view  of 
the  benefits  which  will  accrue  to  the  community  by 
the  performance  of  it ;  or  by  a  lifeless  demonstra- 
tion of  some  doctrine  of  revelation,  in  the  practi- 
cal application  of  which  neither  speaker  nor  hearer 
seem  to  have  any  more  interest  than  if  both  were 
inhabitants  of  the  planet  Jupiter ;  or  by  reading  a 
discourse  on  something  collateral  to  religion,  in 
which  the  name  of  Jesus  is  never  spoken,  if  even 
referred  to ;  or  by  a  description  of  some  locality 


IS  THE  MINISTRY  A  PROFESSION  f  59 

in  Judea,  with  allusions  to'  the  several  classes  of 
individuals  to  whom  the  gospel  was  first  deliv- 
ered ;  or  by  an  eloquent  amplification  of  truisms 
which  no  one  ever  disputed  ;  or  by  entertaining 
an  audience  for  an  hour  or  two  every  Sabbath, 
without  bringing  home  to  their  consciences  their 
obligations  to  repent  and  believe ;  or,  in  a  word, 
by  so  preaching  that  a  careless  sinner  might  at- 
tend our  ministrations  for  months  together  with- 
out once  being  brought  face  to  face  with  his  own 
conscience,  or  a  convicted  sinner  be  pointed  to 
the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sins  of 
the  world  ?  Let  any  man  read  the  New  Testament, 
and  then  judge  for  himself  whether  this  is  doing 
the  work  of  an  ambassador  of  Christ  to  a  revolted 
and  perishing  world.  Was  this  the  way  in  which 
the  Apostle  Paul  did  the  work  of  a  pastor  at 
Ephesus  or  Corinth,  cities  as  renowned  as  any  at 
the  present  day  for  learning,  intelligence,  or  re- 
finement ?  Let  him  answer  for  himself :  "  And  I, 
brethren,  when  I  came  unto  you,  came  not  with 
excellency  of  speech  or  of  wisdom,  delivering  unto 
you  the  testimony  of  God,  for  I  determined  to 
preach  nothing  among  you  but  Jesus  Christ  and 
him  crucified ;  and  I  was  with  you  in  weakness  and 
fear,  and  in  much  trembling,  and  my  speech  and 
my  preaching  was  not  with  enticing  words  of 
man's  wisdom,  but  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit 


60  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

and  of  power."    In  this  way  did  the  apostle  build 
up  a  church  in  the  city  of  Corinth. 

Looking  at  the  ministry  of  the  gospel  from  this 
point  of  view,  how  is  the  office  degraded  when  we 
speak  of  it  as  a  profession,  or  when  we  derive 
our  rules  for  the  discharge  of  its  duties  from 
any  calling  upon  earth  !  Suppose  an  ambassador 
from  any  court  of  Europe  should  appear  among 
us,  and,  declaring  himself  a  professional  man, 
should  measure  his  duties  and  responsibilities  by 
the  rules  which  governed  the  lawyers  and  physi- 
cians at  Washington?  Could  words  express  the 
contempt  which  he  would  inspire  in  the  breasts  of 
the  people  to  whom  he  was  sent,  or  in  the  mind 
of  him  who  commissioned  him?  Peace  or  war, 
the  happiness  or  misery  of  millions,  depend  on  the 
manner  in  which  he  discharges  his  duty ;  and,  for- 
getful of  all  this,  he  yields  himself  up  to  the  man- 
ners of  the  men  by  whom  he  is  surrounded.  He 
will  neither  read  nor  write  a  despatch,  he  will 
neither  make  nor  attend  to  a  communication,  if  it 
will  interfere  with  his  attendance  at  a  ball  or  the 
betting  at  a  horse-race.  We,  as  ministers  of  the 
gospel,  claim  to  be  the  ambassadors  of  the  Sover- 
eign  of  the  universe  ^  our  lost  fellow-men.  If  we 
make  such  a  claim,  let  us  act  in  a  manner  that 
shall  correspond  with  it. 

Yours,  truly. 


LETTER    IV. 

PREACHING  THE  GOSPEL.  —  THE  CONVERSION  OF 
SINNERS. 

My  Dear  Brother: 

"TTTE  have  delayed  long  enough,  on  the  profes- 
*  *     sional  aspect  of  the  ministry  :  let  us  proceed 
to  consider   this   calling   from   another  point  of 
view. 

The  duties  of  a  minister  beseeching  men  to  be 
reconciled  to  God  are  of  three  kinds :  First,  public,  / 
or  preaching ;  second,  private  conversation  with  ^ 
individuals ;  and  thirdly,  exemplary,  or  the  mani- 
festation of  the  truth  by  his  daily  life.  These  are 
all  demanded  by  the  nature  of  his  office.  He  can- 
not fully  discharge  his  duty  unless  his  influence  is 
felt  in  all  these  directions. 

Let  us,  then,  first  consider  that  part  of  a  min- 
ister's d.uty  which  is  discharged  in  the  pulpit,  or 
preaching. 

The  object  of  the  ministry,  then,  is,  in  the  first 
place,  to  persuade  men  to  be  reconciled  to  God ; 
and  in  the  second  place  to  establish  those  who  have 
been  reconciled  in  all  holy  practice,  so  that  he  may 


62  MINIS  TR  Y  OF  THE '  G  OSPEL. 

present  them  faultless  before  the  throne  of  God. 
uTust  in  proportion  as  he  attains  these  ends,  is  his 
ministry  successful.  If  they  are  not  attained,  no 
matter  what  else  he  may  have  done,  his  ministry 
has  been  a  failure.  It  matters  not  how  much  he 
may  have  been  applauded  for  eloquence,  or  how 
firmly  he  may  have  established  a  reputation  for 
thorough  scholarship  or  accomplished  rhetoric,  or 
have  acquired  rank  and  position  in  the  denomina- 
tion to  which  he  belongs,  or  how  large  and  influen- 
tial a  congregation  he  may  have  gathered;  if  he 
have  neither  converted  sinners  to  Christ,  nor  con- 
firmed saints  in  holiness,  his  life,  so  far  as  the  min- 
istry is  concerned,  is  a  blank,  on  which  the  Spirit 
of  God  has  never  written  a  syllable. 

But  if  such  be  the  exclusive  object  of  the  minis- 
try, it  is  interesting  to  inquire,  How  may  it  be 
attained  ?  The  apostle  shall  answer  this  question 
for  us  :  "  We  have  renounced  the  hidden  things  of 
dishonesty,  not  walking  in  craftiness,  nor  handling 
the  word  of  God  deceitfully ;  but  by  the  manifes- 
tation of  the  truth  commending  ourselves  to  every 
man's  conscience  [not  his  taste  or  imagination]  in 
the  sight  of  God."  But  what  truth  ?  The  truth 
of  Aristotle,  or  Plato,  or  Socrates,  or  truth  made 
known  to  us  by  the  light  of  nature  ?  Oh,  no !  this 
is  not  what  the  apostle  termed  the  truth  which  he 
manifested  to  the  consciences  of  men.  He  had  been 


PREACHING  — CONVERSION  OF  MEN.  63 

commissioned  to  make  known  tbe  most  astonishing 
truth  that  had  ever  fallen  on  the  ears  of  men  :  that 
God  had  provided  for  a  world  justly  doomed  to 
eternal  death  a  way  of  reconciliation,  through  the 
death  of  his  well-beloved  Son  ;  and  that  glory, 
honor,  and  immortal  life  were  freely  offered  to  ev- 
ery child  of  Adam  who  would  repent  and  believe. 
Compared  with  this,  every  other  knowledge  seemed 
to  him  frivolous  and  contemptible.  "  I  count," 
said  he,  "  all  things  but  loss  for  the  excellency  of 
the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord." 

Now  this  wonderful  truth,  and  all  that  God  has 
seen  fit  to  make  known  in  connection  w4th  it,  is 
contained  in  the  sacred  Scriptures.  The  Saviour, 
and  the  men  who  were  inspired  by  him,  have  re- 
vealed to  us  in  the  language  of  men  all  that  we 
shall  ever  know  of  the  unseen  world,  and  of  the 
way  in  which  we  shall  secure  our  eternal  happiness. 
God  has  promised  to  accompany  this  truth  by  the 
influences  of  his  Holy  Spirit,  by  which  alone  it 
can  be  made  effectual  to  the  conversion  of  men. 
Hence  the  duty  of  the  minister  of  Christ  is  plain. 
His  object  is  to  convert  men.  They  are  to  be  con- 
verted by  the  manifestation  of  the  truth  of  revela- 
tion. There,  as  I  have  said,  he  finds  the  ideas  of 
God  in  the  language  of  men.  These  he  presents 
to  the  consciences  of  men.  He  must  do  it  with 
plainness,  simplicity,  and  with  unshrinking  fidelity, 


64  MINISTRY  OF  TEE  GOSPEL. 

knowing  not  the  persons  of  men,  but  speaking 
solemnly  in  the  fear  of  God.  To  suppose  that  he 
can  add  to  the  impressiveness  of  the  word  of  God, 
by  strengthening  it  with  the  reasonings  of  men, 
seems  to  me  to  be  arrant  folly.  No  reason  can 
ever  be  so  strong  for  any  belief  as  the  simple  fact 
that  God  has  said  it. 

All  this,  at  least,  is  acknowledged  by  our  uni- 
versal practice.  When  we  preach  we  always  take, 
ostensibly  as  the  basis  of  our  discourse,  some  pas- 
sage of  the  word  of  God.  This  is  called  a  text ; 
and  without  it,  our  communication  may  be  an 
oration,  a  speech,  a  lecture,  or  an  essay,  but  it  is 
never  called  a  sermon.  But  why  take  a  text? 
Simply  because  we  profess  in  preaching  to  unfold 
some  idea  of  inspiration,  and,  on  the  authority  of 
God,  enforce  it  on  our  hearers.  If  this  be  not  our 
intention  we  need  no  text  at  all ;  or  we  may  as  well 
take  one  from  Bacon's  Essays  or  any  other  work, 
as  from  the  Scriptures.  This  being  so,  it  is  not 
enough  that  we  take  for  our  text  the  words ;  we 
must  take  the  ideas  of  the  sacred  Scriptures.  It 
is  not  that  some  idea  analogous  to  that  in  the  text 
may  be  found  in  the  Bible ;  we  must  endeavor  to 
ascertain  the  precise  idea  communicated  by  the 
Spirit  of  God  in  that  particular  passage.  It  is  not 
enough  that  what  we  utter  may  be  true ;  we  must, 
by  manifestation  of  the  truth  revealed  to  us   by 


PREACHING  — CONVERSION  OF  MEN.  65 

God,  commend  ourselves  to  every  man's  conscience. 
It  is  this  alone  to  which  the  promise  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  given,  and  we  can  ask  for  his  aid  in  un- 
folding nothing  else. 

Hence  it  is  not  preaching  the  gospel  to  select  a 
phrase  of  really  no  moral  significance,  or  the  rela- 
tion of  some  incidental  event,  and.  make  this  the 
basis  of  what  we  call  a  sermon.  For  instance, 
suppose  we  take  for  our  text  Luke  xxiv.  13  :  "  And 
behold  two  of  them  went  that  same  day  to  a  village 
called  Emmaus,  which  was  from  Jerusalem  about 
three-score  furlongs." 

We  might  begin  by  a  learned  discussion  on  the 
length  of  the  Jewish  furlong ;  we  might  compare 
it  with  the  Roman  measures  of  distance,  with  the 
Persian  parasang,  with  the  furlong  in  use  among 
us ;  and  thus  determine,  with  apparent  accuracy  in 
miles,  rods,  and  yards,  how  far  Emmaus  was  from 
Jerusalem.  We  might  then  inquire  where  this 
village  stood,  whether  east,  west,  north,  or  south 
from  Jerusalem,  and  inform  our  audience  of  all  th# 
places  now  existing  which  have  been  taken  for  this 
locality,  with  the  reasons  which  have  been  adduced 
in  favor  of  each.  If,  as  might  be  the  case,  the 
preacher  himself  had  visited  Jerusalem,  he  might 
tell  us  of  the  labor  he  had  spent  in  the  personal 
investigation  of  this  subject ;  how  carefully  he  had 
paced  the  distance  between  Jerusalem  and  the 
5 


66  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

various  localities  which  claimed  to  be  the  village 
of  Eiumaus.  He  might  describe  the  nature  of  the 
soil ;  the  loveliness  of  a  summer  morning  in  Judea  ; 
the  face  of  the  country ;  the  conversation  of  his 
Arab  guides,  and  their  incessant  call  at  every  turn 
of  the  road  for  additional  bucksheesh.  Finally,  he 
might  return  to  the  point  whence  he  commenced, 
by  confessing  that,  with  all  this  laborious  inquiry, 
he  had  been  unable  to  ascertain  the  locality  of 
Emmaus,  and  that  probably  the  very  foundation 
of  the  little  village  had  been  erased  from  the  face 
of  the  earth.  He  might  close  by  inquiring  who 
the  two  disciples  were  to  whom  reference  is  made 
in  the  text ;  imagine  their  feelings  as  they  ascended 
the  hill  that  gave  them  a  full  view  of  Jerusalem, 
and  their  feelings  as  they  descended  it,  and  the 
wicked  city  was  hidden  from  their  sight.  He 
might  commence  the  service  with  a  solemn  prayer 
that  the  truth  of  God  might  be  made  effectual  to 
the  conversion  of  sinners  and  the  edification  of 
tfaints ;  the  music  might  be  performed  with  artistic 
skill ;  all  things  be  done  decently  and  in  order,  and 
the  audience  dismissed  with  the  apostolic  benedic- 
tion; but,  I  ask,  is  not  all  this  trifling  with  the  souls 
of  men  ?  It  may  all  be  very  proper  for  an  anti- 
quarian lecture  ;  but  is  it  the  work  of  an  ambassa- 
dor of  God  to  men  dying  in  sin,  and  who  must 
soon,  with  their  preacher,  stand  before  the  judg- 
ment-seat of  Christ? 


PREACHING  — CONVERSION  OF  MEN.  67 

I  have  said  that  the  minister  should  make  known 
to  his  people  the  idea  Qonveyed  in  the  text.  It  is 
not  his  business  to  enter  upon  the  metaphysical 
doctrines  on  which  it  may  be  supposed  to  rest,  or, 
leaving  the  truth  made  known  by  the  Spirit,  to  dis- 
course upon  the  inferences  which  he  may  draw 
from  it.  For  instance,  a  man  might  take  for  his 
text  Luke  xiii.  3  :  "  Except  ye  repent,  ye  shaU  all 
likewise  perish." 

He  might  commence  with  a  recital  of  the  vari- 
ous opinions  which  have  been  entertained  concern- 
ing the  event  which  gave  rise  to  this  saying  of  the 
Saviour.  Who  were  these  men  whose  blood 
Pilate  mingled  with  their  sacrifices ;  and  did  this 
event  occur  at  Jerusalem,  or  in  Galilee  ;  and  for 
what  cause  was  this  cruelty  inflicted?  This  natu- 
rally leads  to  the  history  of  Pilate ;  his  appoint- 
ment as  procurator  of  Judea  ;  his  general  character 
for  cruelty,  meanness,  and  cupidity ;  his  deposition 
by  Vitellius,  and  his  subsequent  death  by  suicide. 

After  this  introduction,  in  which  really  nothing 
is  introduced,  the  preacher  proceeds  to  the  body 
of  his  work.  He  is  to  discourse  about  repentance. 
The  subject  is  important,  and  it  is  necessary  to 
commence  with  first  principles.  The  world  is  full 
of  changes.  This  important  fact  he  renders  im- 
pressive by  many  illustrations  drawn  from  the 
various  appearances  of  nature.     Some  changes  are 


68  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

for  the  better,  and  some  for  the  worse.  This  admits 
of  copious  illustration.  Changes  in  morals  are 
either  those  of  inward  principles,  or  outward  prac- 
tice. The  latter  follow  the  former ;  for  if  we  change 
our  principles,  it  is  natural  that  we  change  our 
practice.  This  idea  is  also  capable  of  large  ampli- 
fication, and  may  lead  us  into  the  consideration  of 
the  power  of  motives  over  the  will.  Hence  the 
importance,  when  there  is  a  change  of  our  princi- 
ples, that  it  be  a  change  for  the  better ;  otherwise 
it  can  lead  to  no  good  result.  Repentance  is  a 
change  of  this  kind  ;  it  is  a  sincere  regret  for  the 
past,  with  a  solemn  intention  to  reform  our  prac- 
tice for  the  future.  Such  a  change  is  always  pro- 
ductive of  the  best  results.  To  produce  such 
changes  temperance  societies  have  been  formed, 
and  have  been  very  successful.  In  fact,  it  may  be 
remarked  generally,  that  the  object  of  all  true 
reformations  is  to  change  the  principles  of  men, 
and  thus  amend  their  practice.  This  idea  is  also 
capable  of  being  very  powerfully  enforced.  If 
such  be  the  universal  law  of  our  being,  how  great 
must  be  the  benefit  to  our  souls  when  the  change 
in  question  has  to  do  with  our  relations  to  God ! 

The  application  of  these  reasonings  is  evident. 
We  should  continually  examine  our  principles  of 
conduct;  and  if  we  find  them  to  be  wrong,  we 
should  change  them  at  once  for  such  as  we  see  to 


PRUA  CHING  —  CON VERSION  OF  MEN.  69 

be  right,  at  the  same  time  taking  care  that  there 
is  a  corresponding  change  in  our  conduct.  So, 
above  all,  if  we  find  on  reflection  that  the  princi- 
ples which  have  governed  our  relations  with  God 
are  incorrect,  we  should  at  once  abandon  them, 
and  replace  them  by  such  as  are  consistent  with 
his  will.  Let  us  do  this,  and  show  by  our  conduct 
that  this  change  of  principles  is  sincere,  and  we 
shall  thus  escape  his  displeasure  and  attain  to  his 
favor. 

Now  if  this  were  clothed  in  a  style  of  unexcep- 
tionable rhetoric,  interspersed  with  illustrations 
from  science  and  history  and  the  occurrences  of 
every-day  life,  and  delivered  with  animation  and 
zeal,  who  doubts  that  it  would  pass  with  a  large 
part  of  many  a  congregation  for  what  is  called  a 
splendid  efibrt  ?  The  style  was  polished  to  a  hair ; 
the  history  of  Pilate  exhibited  research ;  the  illus- 
trations, drawn  from  a  large  range  of  knowledge 
and  observation,  were  apposite;  and  what  could 
any  one  ask  for  more  ?  The  sermon  may  be  laid 
away  in  a  safe  place,  and  become  one  of  the  stock- 
discourses  of  the  author. 

But,  I  ask,  in  all  seriousness,  is  this  preaching 
the  gospel?  Must  it  not  require  a  considerable 
degree  of  modest  assurance  to  call  together  an 
assembly,  many  of  whom  are  intelligent  men,  to 
listen  to  the  amplification  of  such  a  string  of  tru- 


70  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

* 

isms?     Or,  suppose  a  sinner  had  come  into  this 

assembly  asking,  "What  must  I  do  to  be  saved?" 
what  word  in  eithe\*  of  these  discourses  would  have 
indicated  to  him  the  way  of  salvation  ?  Or,  were 
a  man  an  habitual  attendant  on  just  such  preach- 
ing, how  would  he  ever  learn  the  danger  of  a  life 
of  impenitence,  or  be  taught  to  flee  to  Christ  for 
eternal  life  ?  When  such  a  preacher  and  his  peo- 
I^le  stand  together  at  the  bar  of  God,  I  fear  that 
they  must  have  a  most  appalling  meeting. 

How,  then,  shall  a  minister  of  Christ  select  a 
text  which  shall  be  in  truth  the  foundation  of  a 
sermon?  He  is  an  ambassador  of  Christ;  and  an 
ambassador  is  commissioned  to  make  known  to 
those  to  whom  he  is  sent  the  precise  ideas  com- 
mitted to  him  by  those  who  have  sent  him.  The 
minister  must  do  the  very  same  thing.  The  ideas 
which   God   desires   him   to   make  known  to  his 

[    fellow-man,   are   contained  in   the   written  word. 

'^  Let  him  choose  his  text,  and  endeavor  to  ascertain 
its  meaning  by  deep  meditation  and  solemn  and 
earnest  prayer.  I  believe  that  he  who  seeks  the 
meaning  of  the  word  of  God  with  an  humble, 
fervent,  and  devout  desire  to  know  the  mind  of 
the  Spirit,  will  rarely  wander  far  from  the  truth, 
and  will  never  fall  into  fatal  error.     Let  him  use 

^/  all  the  aids  in  his  power;  but  principally  let  him 
read  and  re-read,  looking  upward  for  the  illumina- 


PEE  A  CHING  —  CON  VERS  I  ON  OF  MEN.  7 1 

tion  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  he  will  not  look  in 
vain.  When  ministers  shall  i-ead  the  Bible  a  great*  , 
deal  more,  and  read  it  with  more  humble  reliance 
on  the  teaching  of  the  Spirit,  I  think  we  shall 
have  a  greatly  improved  interpretation  of  the 
word  of  God  from  all  om*  pulpits.  I  fear  that  in 
this  respect  many  of  us  are  greatly  deficient. 

Let  the  minister  use  all  the  means  which  God 
has  placed  in  his  power  to  understand  the  mean- 
ing of  the  text.  Let  him  then  ask,  How  can  this 
idea  of  God  be  made  most  useful  to  those  whom  ♦ 
I  am  called  to  address?  Let  his  sermon  be  the 
text  expanded,  and  the  text  the  sermon  con-  ^ 
tracted.  Let  him  strive  to  be  the  medium  of 
communication  between  the  Spirit  of  God  and 
his  hearers.  He  is  not  the  servant  of  man.  He  is 
not  called  to  please  men,  but  God.  He  must 
preach  the  preaching  that  he  is  bidden,  whether, 
men  will  hear  or  whether  they  will  forbear.  With- 
out doing  this,  he  may  accomplish  many  other 
things,  but  without  doing  this  he  can  never 
expect  the  blessing  of  God  upon  his  labors,  nor 
can  he  say,  when  he  has  finished  his  course,  '*  I  am 
free  from  the  blood  of  all  men."  ^ 

But  it  is  hardly  enough  that  a  man  declare  the 
message  of  God  with  clearness  and  simplicity. 
This  of  course  is  indispensable.  But  it  is  to  be 
remembered  that  he  is  to  declare  it  to  men  dead 


72  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

in  sin,  infatuated  wjth  the  love  of  the  world,  the 
slaves  of  their  own  imaginations,  desires,  and  lusts. 
They  do  not  love  the  Sovereign  whom  he  repre- 
sents, and  the  language  of  all  their  conduct  is, 
*'WTio  is  the  Lord,  that  I  should  obey  him?" 
The  mighty  God  condescends  through  him  to 
beseech  them,  and  he  is  commanded  to  pray  them 
to  be  reconciled  to  God.  The  case,  when  looked 
upon  in  its  simple  reality,  is  the  most  solemn  of 
which  the  mind  can  conceive.  A  company  of  im- 
•  mortal  beings,  rapidly  approaching  the  end  of 
their  probation,  is  in  danger  of  eternal  death ; 
and  we  are  sent  with  the  good  news  that  a 
way  of  escape  has  been  provided,  and  that  the  boon 
of  eternal  life  is  offered  freely  to  every  one  of 
them.  It  is  of  vital  importance  that  they  shall 
believe  what  we  say.  But  can  they  believe  that 
we  believe  it  ourselves,  unless  we  put  our  whole 

•     soul  into  our  message,  anxious  for   nothing   but 
\      their  salvation  ?     Simple,  honest,  affectionate  ear- 
nestness is  of  vastly  more  value  than  argument. 

This  leads  me  to  observe  that  to  the  preacher 
of  the  gospel  moral  preparation  for  the  pulpit  is 

/  of  far  more  importance  than  intellectual,  though  I 
fear  it  is  apt  to  receive  far  less  of  our  attention. 
If  we  satisfy  ourselves  that  we  have  clearly  set 
forth  the  truth,  we  are  prone  to  feel  as  though  our 
whole  work  was  accomplished.     But  we  may  do 


PREA  CHING  -  CON  VERSION  OF  MEN.  73 

this  without  awakening  a  single  emotion,  without 
prompting  a  single  sinner  to  ask,  "  What  shall  I 
do  to  be  saved?"  We  handle  the  most  solemn 
truths  too  much  in  a  j^rofessional  way.  If  we 
have  a  well-digested  and  well-written  discourse, 
we  think  that  is  enough.  We  are  all  liable  to 
lose  sight  of  the  fact  that,  in  a  most  important 
sense,  we  are  responsible  for  the  souls  of  the  peo- 
ple committed  to  our  charge. 

A  soul  deeply  impressed  with  a  conviction  of 
the  infinite  holiness  of  God,  a  heart  touched  with  » 
tenderness  for  the  men  before  him  who  are  perish- 
ing in  sin,  and  burning  with  zeal  to  be  the  means  ^ 
of  saving  them  from  eternal  death  and  bringing 
them  to  the  cross  as  trophies  of  a  Saviour's  love, 
constitutes  the  best  preparation  for  the  pulpit. 
We  need  the  aid  of  the  Spirit  of  God  and  the 
fulfilment  of  the  Saviour's  promise,  "Lo,  I  am 
with  you  always,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world." 
But  this  cannot  be  attained  without  a  great  moral 
effort;  it  is  the  fruit  of  humble  and  earnest  prayer 
and  deep  and  holy  meditation.  In  this  respect 
we  are,  I  fear,  lamentably  deficient.  Worldly 
motives  are  sufficient  to  lead  us  to  seek  for  lucid 
arrangement,  clearness  of  thought,  beauty  of  style, 
"and  all  the  graces  of  rhetorical  embellishment;  but 
nothing  except  a  present  consciousness  of  love  to 
Christ,  and  burning  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  men, 


74  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

will  furnish  us  with  the  right  moral  preparation. 
Alas!  my  brethren,  how  often  do  we  enter  the 
pulpit  with  worldly  hearts,  to  urge  upon  men  the 
danger  of  worldliness!  How  often  with  hard  and 
stony  hearts  do  we  preach  the  necessity  of  peni- 
tence !  How  often  do  we  urge  our  brethren  to 
live  nearer  to  God,  when  we  ourselves  stand  more 
than  they  in  need  of  the  exhortations  which  we  ut- 
ter !  How  often  have  we  spoken  of  the  solemnities 
of  death  and  judgment,  when  our  conversation, 
on  leaving  the  house  of  God,  renders  it  evi- 
dent that  our  words  have  had  no  effect  upon  our- 
selves !  Is  it,  then,  any  wonder  that  our  preaching 
has  so  little  effect?  Wh^t  servant  of  God,  upon  a 
review  of  his  ministry,  will  not  confess  that  this 
has  been  his  great  deficiency,  and  the  sin  for 
which  he  most  needs  the  forgiveness  of  God  ?  If 
we  gave  as  much  attention  to  the  preparation  of 
our  hearts  as  to  the  preparation  of  our  sermons, 
how  different  would  be  the  account  which  we 
should  render  at  a  coming  day!  Are  not  many 
of  us  in  this  respect  verily  guilty  of  the  blood  of 
our  brethren  ?  When  we  all  repent  and  reform, 
when  we  never  enter  the  pulpit  without  a  solemn 
conviction  that  we  are  standing  between  the  living 
and  the  dead,  and  when,  after  every  sermon,  we 
can  say,  in  the  presence  of  God,  I  am  clear  from 
the  blood  of  these  immortal  souls,  what  a  change 


PEEA CHING  —  CON VERSION  OF  MEN.  75 

will  be  wrought  in  all  our  congregations !  The 
jDeople  would  throng  our  churches,  not  to  spend 
an  hour  pleasantly  on  the  Sabbath  day  and  to 
listen  to  music  which  during  the  week  they  had 
heard  at  the  opera,  but  because  they  heard  that 
God  was  with  us  of  a  truth.  We  should  be  saved 
the  labor  of  preaching  on  the  evidences  of  revela- 
tion ;  for  the  proof  that  Christ  had  ascended,  and 
was  shedding  abroad  that  which  they  saw  and_ 
heard,  would  be  palpable  to  every  mind.  The 
day  of  Pentecost  would  not  be  an  event  to  be  / 
recalled  from  the  depth  of  twenty  centuries,  but  a 
visible  fact  in  the  present;  and,  as  the  prophet 
foresaw,  the  windows  of  heaven  would  be  opened, 
and  a  blessing  poured  out  so  that  there  would  not 
be  room  to  receive  it. 

I  conclude  this  letter  with  the  entreaty  that 
you,  and  every  one  who  is  waiting  for  the  salva- 
tion of  Israel,  will  pray  for  us  who  minister  at  the 
altar,  and  for  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
that  this  day  may  be  hastened,  and  all  flesh  see 
the  salvation  of  God. 

Yours,  truly. 


LETTER   V. 

THE  EDIFICATION  OF  BELIEVEES. 

My  Dear  Brother: 

TN  my  last  letter  I  considered  the  duty  of  a  min- 
-■-  ister  of  Christ  as  a  preacher  of  repentance. 
This,  however,  is  but  a  part  of  his  duty.  It  be- 
longs to  his  office  to  be  the  means  not  only  of 
converting  sinners,  but  of  establishing  saints  in 
the  most  holy  faith.  To  this  other  part  of  his 
duty  let  us  now  direct  our  attention. 

These  two  departments  of  service  are  not, 
however,  so  dissimilar  as  it  might  at  first  be 
supposed.  We  not  unfrequently  hear  ministers  of 
the  gospel  spoken  of  with  disparagement,  because 
they  do  nothing  but  convert  sinners.  They  are 
considered  as  a  subordinate  class  in  the  ministry ; 
somewhat  fanatical ;  destitute  of  solid  theological 
learning;  unable  to  build  up  the  church  in  the 
knowledge  and  faith  of  the  gospel.  I  do  not 
doubt  that  among  those  called  evangelists  there 
have  been  many,  to  whom  this  description  applies, 
whose   only   effort  is,  by   the   use  of  all  means, 


THE  EDIFICATION  OF  BELIEVERS.  77 

within  a  given  time,  to  collect  as  many  as  possible 
into  a  church ;  who  go  from  place  to  place,  awak- 
ening a  transient  excitement,  of  which  the  results 
are  far  from  satisfactory.  This  is  not  the  kind 
of  preaching  which  we  would  recommend.  We 
would  have  the  pastor  himself,  not  the  itinerant 
evangelist,  so  preach  the  gospel  that  by  the  bless- 
ing of  God  there  shall  always  be  many  inquiring 
in  earnest  what  they  shall  do  to  be  saved,  and 
that  every  communion  season  shall  welcome  to 
the  church  a  company  of  recent  converts.  In  a 
word,  I  would  say  that  a  state  of  continual  revival  ^ 
is  the  proper  and  normal  condition  of  a  church 
of  Christ.  Nothing  can  more  certainly  promote 
its  spiritual  growth  than  this  moral  condition ; 
nothing  so  much  calls  into  exercise  all  the  graces 
of  the  Christian  character  as  beholding  the  work 
of  God  in  the  conversion  of  sinners.  It  calls  upon 
every  drowsy  Christian  to  awaken  and  do  again 
the  first  works  of  repentance  and  faith.  It  sum- 
mons the  established  Christian  to  new  and  more 
self-denying  effort,  and  gives  an  unwonted  reality 
to  the  solemn  truths  of  the  world  to  come.  It  v^ 
unveils  their  own  hearts  to  the  self-deceived, 
recalls  backsliders  from  their  wanderings,  and  fills 
the  whole  church  with  the  spirit  of  humility,  love, 
penitence,  and  zeal.  When  a  church  is  blessed 
with  frequent  conversions,  their  effects  upon  the 


78  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

souls  of  Christians  are  continually  manifesting 
themselves.  Nor  are  these  results  merely  emo- 
tional. Men  read  their  Bibles  more;  they  pray 
more  earnestly  for  the  illumination  of  the  Holy 
Spirit ;  they  are  in  the  habit  of  conversing  vrith 
each  other  and  with  unconverted  persons  on  the 
subject  of  the  soul's  salvation ;  and  they  cannot 
live  thus  without  much  and  deep  reflection  on  the 
most  important  doctrines  of  the  gospel.  Thus 
they  grow  in  grace  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ., 

The  object  of  the  minister  of  Christ  is  not  only 
to  convert  sinners,  but  to  build  up  saints  in  the 
most  holy  faith.  "Whom  we  preach,"  said  the 
apostle,  "  learning  every  man,  and  teathing  every 
man,  in  all  wisdom,  that  we  may  present  every 
man  perfect  in  Christ  Jesus."  Such  should  be 
the  object  of  all  the  apostle's  successors,  first  to 
warn,  and  secondly  to  teach. 

The  teaching  for  the  edification  of  believers 
\i  may  be  either  doctrinal,  experimental,  or  practical. 
Let  us  briefly  consider  each  of  them. 

A  deeper  insight  into  the  truths  of  revelation  is 
the  condition  by  which  all  spiritual  growth  is 
limited.  The  Scriptures  contain  the  message  of 
the  eternal  God  to  every  individual  of  the  race 
of  man ;  and  it  is  of  the  greatest  importance  to 
every  individual   that   he   understand   it.      "All 


THE  EDIFICATION  OF  BELIEVERS.  79 

scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and  is 
profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction, 
for  instruction  in  righteousness,  that  the  man  of 
God  may  be  perfect,  thoroughly  furnished  unto  all 
good  works."  To  advance  this  knowledge,  is  one 
of  the  most  important  ends  for  which  the  ministry 
was  instituted.  The  ajDostles  frequently,  and  in 
the  most  earnest  manner,  urge  upon  their  con- 
verts to  increase  in  the  knowledge  of  God ;  in- 
deed, they  hardly  ever  press  the  necessity  of  grow- 
ing in  grace,  without,  at  the  same  time,  urging 
the  importance  of  a  deeper  understanding  of  the 
truths  of  religion.  It  is  evident  that  a  Christian 
can  meditate  on  divine  truth  only  as  he  has  a 
knowledge  of  what  it  teaches ;  he  can  defend  re- 
ligion against  its  adversaries  only  as  he  knows 
what  it  is  that  he  has  to  defend ;  he  cannot  be 
prepared  to  encounter  temptation,  persecution  and 
trial,  "  the  day  of  battle  and  of  war,"  unless  he  is 
furnished  with  the  whole  armor  provided  for  him 
by  the  Captain  of  his  salvation. 

The  aim  of  the  minister  of  Christ  should,  there- 
fore, be,,  to  make  his  people  first  of  all  acquainted  J 
with  the  great  truths  of  the  gospel,  and  to  make 
these  throughout  the  burden  of  his  message.  It  is 
by  these  alone  that  the  Christian  life  is  main- 
tained. "As  new-born  babes,"  says  the  apostle 
Peter,   "  desire   the   sincere  [pure]   milk   of   the 


80  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

word,  that  ye  may  grow  thereby ;"  not  fanciful 
human  deductions  from  the  word,  but  the  pure, 
unadulterated  word  itself.  We  all  know  the  em- 
inent usefulness  of  Legh  Richmond  as  a  minis- 
ter of  Christ.  His  biographer  informs  us  that  he 
was  often  heard  to  declare  "  that  two  great  sub- 
jects pervaded  the  Bible  —  sin  and  salvation  from 
sin ;  and  that  these  ought  to  form  the  basis  of  the 
Christian  ministry.  In  his  addresses  from  the 
pulpit  he  never  failed  to  point  out,  distinctly  and 
forcibly,  man's  ruin  by  the  fall ;  his  condition  under 
the  law,  and  his  moral  inability  to  deliver  himself 
by  any  power  or  strength  of  his  own  ;  the  divin- 
ity and  incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God ;  free  and 
full  justification  through  faith  in  the  atoning  blood 
and  righteousness  of  the  Redeemer ;  the  nature  of 
justifying  faith,  its  fruits  and  evidences;  the 
agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  regeneration  and 
sanctification  of  believers ;  and  the  necessity  of  a 
renewed  heart  and  of  holiness  of  life,  not  as  a 
title  to  heaven,  but  as  a  meetness  for  its  enjoyment. 
"These  doctrines  have  been  the  food  of  the 
church  in  all  ages,  the  manna  which  has  sustained 
her  children  in  the  many  and  diversified  scenes. of 
human  trial  and  infirmity ;  they  have  been  the 
song  of  their  pilgrimage,  their  joy  in  tribulation, 
their  light  in  darkness,  and  their  guide  to  life  and 
immortality." 


TEE  EDIFICATION   OF  BELIEVERS,  81 

I  would  ask,  Are  these  topics,  and  others  just 
like  them,  presented  with  sufficient  frequency,  dis- 
tinctness, and  earnestness  to  our  congregations  ? 
Do  they  form  the  subject-matter  of  conversation 
among  Christians?  Let  us  take  the  evidence 
furnished  by  an  ordinary  conference  meeting.  A 
few  exhortations  fo  repent,  urged  in  almost  the 
same  words  by  some  two  or  three,  arfd  these  gen- 
erally the  same  persons,  form  the  matter  of  most 
of  our  meetings  of  this  sort.  When  do  we  hear 
private  Christians  speak  of  the  great  doctrines  of 
the  gospel  as  if  they  were  in  the  habit  of  reading 
the  Bible  and  reflecting  upon  it  ?  At  an  agricuL 
tural  meeting  men  talk  freely  of  agriculture.  At 
a  meeting  of  chemists  they  talk  of  chemistry 
in  its  various  aspects,  theoretical  and  practical. 
At  such  meetings  men  present  their  views  on 
every  matter  of  interest;  they  tell  their  expe- 
riences, —  what  they  have  done,  when  they  have 
succeeded,  and  when  they  have  failed.  Why 
should  not  Christians,  when  they  come  together, 
act  on  the  same  principles  ? 

But  it  may  be  said  that  our  hearers  all  have  the 
Bible  in  their  own  language :  the  world  is  filled 
with  books  needful  for  the  instruction  of  men  in 
the  knowledge  of  the  truths  of  the  word  of  God  : 
this  work  may  safely  be  left  to  Sabbath  schools 
and  Bible  classes.  Is  the  aid  of  the  minister 
6 


82  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

required  to  do  for  the  people  what  they  can  do 
for  themselves  ? 

In  reply  to  this,  it  may  be  asked,  What,  then,  is 
the  need  of  the  ministry  at  all?  If  the  people  can 
know  their  duty,  and  find  for  themselves  the  mo- 
tives for  performing  it,  why  not  abolish  the  minis- 
try altogether?  If  the  progress  of  the  age  has 
been  so  rapid  that  it  is  in  advance  of  the  ministry, 
and  now,  without  the  ministry,  can  do  what  for- 
merly it  could  only  do  with  it,  then  has  the  min- 
istry become  valueless,  and  we  may,  without  loss, 
dismiss  it. 

But  I  suppose  a  great  object  of  the  ministry  to 
be,  to  lead  our  hearers  to  study  the  Bible  for  them- 
selves. The  minister  of  Christ  is  set  apart  not  to 
deliver  his  own  theories,  or  to  discuss  matters 
merely  incidental  to  the  truths  of  the  gospel,  but 
to  make  known  to  men  the  ideas  of  the  living 
God  contained  in  the  Scriptures.  His  preaching 
should  teach  men  to  understand  the  Bible  better, 
and  to  love  it  more.  That  minister  has  nobly  ac- 
complished his  labor  who  has  been  the  means  of 
rendering  his  people  earnest,  devout,  and  intelli- 
gent students  of  the  Scriptures.  As  I  have  said 
before,  in  preparing  to  preach,  the  minister  should 
ascertain,  as  far  as  possible,  the  very  idea  commu- 
nicated by  the  Spirit  in  the  text  which  he  has 
chosen.     If  he  have  done  this,  the  text  will  fasten 


THE  EDIFICATION  OF  BELIEVERS.  83 

itself  upon  the  mind  of  the  hearer,  the  sermon 
will  enable  him  to  understand  the  text,  the  text 
will  enable  him  to  remember  the  sermon,  and  both 
will  be  treasured  up  for  spiritual  instruction. 

But  all  this  benefit  is  lost  when  a  text  is  taken 
merely  as  a  matter  of  form,  simply  as  a  motto, 
with  which  the  ensuing  discourse  has  no  connec- 
tion ;  or  when  some  isolated  phrase  is  taken  as  a 
text,  and  a  large  part  of  a  discourse  is  employed  in 
showing  that  an  inference  may  be  drawn  from  it 
which  every  one  sees  to  be  entirely  alien  from  the 
obvious  scope  of  the  iDassage.  Is  it  any  wonder 
that  men  come  to  consider  the  Bible  unlike  any  ^ 
other  book,  a  book  of  riddles,  in  which  every  sen- 
tence may  be  made  to  mean  whatever  the  preacher 
pleases,  and  which  no  one  but  the  preacher  is  able 
to  explain  ?  Is  it  any  wonder  that  Christians  lose 
all  confidence  in  their  power  to  explain  for  them- 
selves a  book  which  is  susceptible  of  so  great  a 
variety  of  almost  opposite  interpretations? 

And  here  it  may  not  be  inappropriate  to  ask. 
Why  is  it  that  expository  preaching  has  so  entirely 
died  out  aiiiong  us?  When  ministers  had  com-  / 
paratively  little  theological  education,  such  preach^  v 
ing  was  very  common.  It  was  entirely  destitute 
of  theological  learning,  but  it  was  simple  and  de- 
vout, and  in  most  cases  threw  some  light  upon  the 
subject,   and,  at  any  rate,  generally  induced   the 


84  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

hearers  to  examine  it  for  themselves.  Now,  when 
eight  or  ten  years  are  spent  in  the  study  of  lan- 
guage, and  in  preparation  for  the  ministry,  we  very 
rarely  hear  anything  of  the  kind.  Can  it  be  that 
after  all  this  study  men  are  unwilling  to  trust 
themselves  to  explain  and  enforce  a  paragraph  of 
the  word  of  God  ?  Or  is  it  supposed  that  this  kind 
of  preaching  is  beneath  the  dignity  of  the  pulpit, 
and  is  to  be  resigned  to  Sabbath  schools  and  Bible 
classes  ?  But  I  will  pursue  the  subject  no  further 
in  this  direction.  Let  every  minister  ask  himself 
whether  he  has  not  been  deficient  in  this  respect. 

The  benefits  of  expository  preaching  are  mani- 
fold. In  the  first  place,  the  particular  passage,  with 
its  connections,  the  scope  of  the  thought,  with  the 
special  force  of  its  individual  expressions,  are  laid 
open  to  the  mind  of  the  hearer.  It  will  henceforth 
be  a  bright  spot,  which  will  shine  with  a  clear  light 
in  all  his  subsequent  readings.  If  its  practical  and 
experimental  lessons  have  been  adequately  set 
forth,  he  will  turn  to  it  with  a  never-failing  inter- 
est in  the  constantly  recurring  vicissitudes  of  life. 
From  one  such  passage  he  will  derive  a  more  dis- 
tinct knowledge  of  duty,  from  another  he  will  learn 
how  to  guard  against  or  to  resist  temptation,  and 
from  another  he  will  seek  sustaining  grace  in  afflic- 
tion ;  and  thus  his  Bible  will  be  studded  with  gems 
which   he  probably  would   otherwise  never  have 


THE  EDIFICATION  OF  BELIEVERS.  85 

discovered.  How  many  of  our  congregations  at 
the  present  day  have  had  their  Bibles  thus  enriched 
by  the  expositions  of  the  minister  of  Christ  ? 

But  we  may  go  further.  By  thus  becoming 
familiar  with  the  manner  in  which  the  minister 
unfolds  the  word  of  God,  the  hearer  learns  to  do 
it  himself.  He  acquires  the  power  of  putting  his 
whole  mind  into  immediate  contact  with  the  word 
of  God.  He  finds  that  there  is  an  important  mean- 
ing in  every  paragraph,  and  he  has  fjiith  to  believe 
that  he  can  discover  that  meaning  if  he  will.  He 
sees  it  done  every  Sabbath  by  another:  why  should 
he  not  do  it  himself  ?  The  Bible  ceases  to  be  to 
him  a  book  of  riddles,  or  of  broken,  disconnected 
sentences,  but  a  book  which  he  is  confident  that 
God  meant  him  to  understand.  He  prays  for  the 
aid  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  he  reads  a  passage  over 
and  over  again  with  the  best  (and  these  are  com- 
monly the  briefest)  aids  in  his  power,  and,  more  than 
all,  with  the  humble  and  earnest  desire  to  know 
the  whole  will  of  God  that  he  may  do  it.  Follow- 
ing the  example  of  his  minister,  he  seeks  for  the 
leading  thought  of  the  passage ;  he  seeks  for  its 
connection  with  that  which  immediately  follows; 
he  observes  how  these  bear  on  the  next.  He  thus 
gains  a  knowledge  of  the  direction  in  which  the 
thought  is  moving  forward.  Hence  the  connection 
of  the  several  parts  with  each  other  becomes  ob- 


86  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

vious.  At  last,  a  line  of  light  shines  upon  this  an- 
nouncement of  divine  truth  by  which  each  portion 
is  made  severally  luminous,  and  each  casts  its  light 
upon  every  other.  He  reads  and  reads  again,  and 
at  every  repetition  his  soul  comes  into  more  inti- 
mate communion  with  the  divine  idea  on  which  he 
meditates,  until,  with  Watts,  he  can  say  :  — 

"  And  when  my  spirit  drinks  her  fill 
At  some  sweet  word  of  thine, 
Not  mighty  men,  who  share  the  spoil, 
Have  joys  compared  with  mine." 

Is  it  not  worth  the  effort  of  a  lifetime  to  produce 
such  an  effect  as  this  on  immortal  souls — souls  for 
whom  Christ  died  ?  Compare  with  it  the  reputa- 
tion for  rhetorical  skill,  the  praise  of  fine  writing, 
tlie  thanks  of  gay  disciples  "  in  language  soft  as 
adulation  breathes,"  for  the  intellectual  treat  which 
they  have  enjoyed,  and  how  contemptible  do  they 
all  appear !  It  is  the  will  of  Christ  that  we  should 
^'feed  the  church  of  God^  which  he  has  purchased 
with  his  own  blood ; "  and  does  it  not  become  us 
to  "  be  about  our  Master's  business  "  ? 

The  Scriptures  abundantly  teach  us  that  the 
carnal  mind  is*enmity  against  God,  not  loving  to 
retain  God  in  its  knowledge.  They  also  teach  us 
that  in  regeneration,  without  which  we  cannot  see 
the  kingdom  of  God,  the  affections  of  the  soul  are 


THE  EDIFICATION  OF  BELIEVERS.  87 

changed,  and  are  set  on  things  above  and  not  on 
things  on  the  earth.  The  renewed  man  has  a  new 
object  for  which  he  Hves:  it  is  Christ  who  died 
for  him.  and  rose  again.  The  things  which  once 
awakened  in  him  the  keenest  interest  have  now 
lost  their  power  to  charm  him.  His  paramount 
desire  is  not  to  please  hirnself,  nor  his  fellow-men, 
but  God,  who  trieth  the  heart,  and  who  so  loved 
him  that  he  gave  his  Son  for  his  redemption. 

But  the  heart  of  the  believer  is  only  imperfectly 
sanctified.  Habits  which  have  been  the  growth  of 
a  lifetime  are  not  at  once  eradicated.  Impulses, 
that  from  infancy  have  never  known  restraint, 
require  many  an  effort  before  they  can  yield  a 
cheerful  submission  to  the  divine  wilh  Associa- 
tions tending  to  evil  that  are  awakened  by  every- 
thing around  us,  cannot  in  a  moment  be  annihilated. 
But  all  these  once  cherished  or  scarcely  observed 
tendencies  are  now  the  burden  and  grief  of  the 
renewed  soul.  His  aim  is  to  be  perfect,  as  his 
Father  in  heaven  is  perfect.  He  knows  that  if  he 
yield  himself  to  the  practice  of  any  sin  he  cannot 
be  a  disciple  of  Christ.  Hence  the  warfare  of 
which  the  Scriptures  speak,  of  the  flesh  against 
the  spirit.  Hence  the  ceaseless  conflict  which  is 
going  on  within  him,  the  striving  of  the  new  man 
against  the  sin  that  dwelleth  in  him.  His  spiritual 
enemy  is  ever  on  the  alert  to  surprise  him  in  an 


88  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

unguarded  moment,  and  pollute  his  best  services 
with  sin.  All  these  enemies  of  his  soul  he  must 
resist ;  nay,  all  of  these  he  must  conquer ;  for  the 
crown  of  eternal  life  is  given  only  to  the  victor. 
"  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  sit  with 
me  in  my  throne,  even  as  I  have  overcome  and  am 
set  down  with  my  Father  in  his  throne." 

Now,  it  is  obvious  that  such  a  life  as  this  must 
have  its  own  peculiar  experiences,  and  it  can  at- 
tain its  object  only  by  the  aid  to  be  derived  from 
the  teachings  of  the  word  of  God.  The  youthful 
Christian  needs  to  be  instructed  in  the  nature  of 
that  law  to  which  his  whole  Hfe  is  to  be  subjected, 
and  which  is  quick  and  powerful,  piercing  to  the 
dividing  of  the  soul  and  spirit.  He  should  be 
taught  its  bearing  upon  all  his  conduct,  whether  in 
thought,  or  word,  or  action.  He  must  be  instructed 
in  the  mode  of  resisting  the  first  approaches  of 
evil,  and  of  banishing  at  the  outset  what  seem  to 
be  only  little  sins.  If  he  loses  the  fervor  of  his 
first  love  and  is  in  danger  of  turning  back  into  the 
world,  he  must  be  taught  the  peril  of  his  posi- 
tion and  the  only  way  of  escape.  Or,  if  he  has 
been  overtaken  by  sin,  and  is  overwhelmed  with 
a  consciousness  of  guilt,  he  is  to  be  brought  in 
penitence  and  self-loathing  to  the  cross  of  Christ, 
crying  out  from  his  inmost  soul,  "  Create  in  me  a 
clean  heart,  O  God,  and  take  not  thy  Holy  Spirit 


THE  EDIFICATION  OF  BELIEVERS.  89 

from  me."  Nor  is  this  instruction  needed  alone  by 
the  young.  Christians  of  every  age  need  the  warn- 
ings and  cautions  of  a  Christian  minister.  They 
all  have  their  sorrows,  their  joys,  their  disappoint- 
ments, depressions,  and  temptations,  each  belonging 
to  a  different  period  of  life ;  for  this  warfare  ceases 
not  until  death.  The  truths  adapted  to  each  case 
are  treasured  up  in  the  word  of  God  for  his  use, 
and  from  them  the  minister  is  to  draw  things  both 
new  and  old,  and  to  present  them  in  public  and  in 
private.  On  no  subjects  can  a  minister  discourse 
with  greater  profit  to  his  brethren  than  such  as  I 
have  here  indicated. 

Nor  is  this  all.  The  child  of  God  is  living  in  a 
world  lying  in  wickedness,  in  all  its  aspects  adverse 
to  a  life  of  faith.  The  things  that  are  seen  and 
temporal,  its  wealth,  its  power,  its  pride  of  life,  its 
sensual  pleasures,  attract  us,  and  without  ceaseless 
vigilance  unto  prayer,  with  humble  reliance  on  the 
S])irit  of  God,  we  shall  be  led  away  until  our  feet, 
like  those  of  Banyan's  pilgrim,  stumble  on  the  dark 
mountains.  These,  then,  are  the  various  vicissitudes 
of  life  which  are  sent  for  the  trial  of  our  faith,  or  for 
the  sake  of  fatherly  chastisement.  Prosperity  is  a 
sore  trial  to  the  disciples  of  our  day.  The  love  of 
riches  grows  by  what  it  feeds  on  ;  and  if  in  the  time  \J 
of  Christ  it  was  hard  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  we  fear  it  is  no  easier  now. 


90  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

Then  the  love  of  his  Father  in  heaven  is  seen  in 
the  removal  of  these*  idols,  to  show  him  how  poor 
a  portion  is  anything  eartlily.  Sickness,  pain,  and 
bereavement  are  employed  for  the  same  blessed  pur- 
pose. Now,  all  these  varied  experiences  are  sent  to 
lis  for  one  definite  end,  our  advancement  in  holiness. 
But  the  Christian  will  learn  thus  to  esteem  them 
only  by  contemplating  them  in  the  light  of  the 
word  of  God ;  in  reliance  on  the  exceeding  great 
and  precious  promises.  It  is  the  privilege  of  the 
minister  of  Christ  to  bring  these  spiritual  consola- 
tions before  his  people,  to  render  them  skilful  in 
the  use  of  all  the  weapons  of  the  holy  warfare, 
that  they  may  be  beforehand  prepared  to  meet 
every  trial  that  shall  assail  them.  How  blessed  is 
the  church  that  is  thus  strengthened  with  might, 
by  the  Spirit,  in  the  inner  man  !  When  prosperity 
is  sent  they  receive  it  with  thankfulness,  rejoicing 
that  they  have  more  to  consecrate  to  the  service 
of  God.  When  disaster  overtakes  them,  or  be- 
reavements crush  them  to  the  earth,  or  trials  .more 
bitter  than  bereavements  agitate  every  feeling  of 
the  soul,  they  know  that  the  hand  that  presses 
upon  them  is  the  hand  of  a  Father,  and  say,  with 
Job,  "  Shall  we  receive  good  at  the  hand  of  the 
Lord,  and  shall  we  not  receive  evil  ? "  or,  with  a 
greater  than  Job,  "  The  cup  which  my  Father  hath 
given  me,  shall  I  not  drink  it  ? "     Blessed  is  the 


THE  EDIFICATION  OF  BELIEVERS.  91 

minister  who  is  thus  the  means  of  training  souls 
for  heaven,  and  who  sees  the  people  of  his  charge 
always  and  everywhere  witnesses  for  Christ.  Their 
outward  conduct  testifies  to  the  world  that  religion* 
is  a  reality,  while  the  inward  life,  that  sustains  and 
governs  it,  is  nourished  by  the  indwelling  of  the 
Spirit  of  God.  Cowper's  well-known  lines  exqui- 
sitely describe  such  a  relation  between  a  Christian 
pastor  and  his  people  :  — 

"  By  him  the  violated  law  speaks  out 
Its  thunders  ;  and  by  him,  in  strains  as  sweet 
As  angels  use,  the  gospel  whispers  peace. 
He  'stablishes  the  strong,  restores  the  weak, 
Keclaims  the  wanderer,  binds  the  broken  heart, 
And,  armed  himself  in  panoply  complete 
Of  heavenly  temper,  furnishes  with  arms 
Bright  as  his  own,  and  trains,  by  every  rule 
Of  holy  discipline,  to  glorious  war, 
The  sacramental  host  of  God's  elect." 

—  Task,  Book  II. 

Intimately  connected  with  this  branch  of  our 
subject  is  the  distinct  and  discriminating  exhibition 
of  the  evidences  of  Christian  character.  This  will, 
in  part,  be  accomplished  by  the  experimental 
preaching  of  which  I  have  just  spoken.  When  we 
set  forth  the  dealings  of  the  soul  with  God,  the 
joys  and  sorrows,  the  temptations  and  deliverances 
of  a  religious  life,  even  without  reference  to  the 


92  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

'difference  between  all  this  and  the  experiences  of 
the  ungodly,  we  might,  j^erhaps,  expect  that  men 
would  make  the  a23plication  for  themselves,  and 
determine  whether  or  not  they  were  regenerate 
men.  Such  is  manifestly  the  tendency  of  such 
preaching,  and  hence  the  proof  of  its  great  impor- 
tance. But  so  manifold  is  the  deceitfulness  of  the 
human  heart  that  men  will,  if  possible,  escape 
the  force  of  any  truth  that  would  lead  to  conse- 
quences which  they  dislike.  We  must,  therefore, 
come  nearer,  and  so  present  the  evidences  of  per- 
sonal piety  that  no  man,  if  he  will  give  attention 
to  what  we  say,  can  possibly  mistake  them. 

What  these  evidences  are  I  need  not  specify ; 
they  may  be  found  on  every  page  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament. If  religion  supposes  a  total  change  in  the 
most  important  moral  affections;  if  in  regeneration 
enmity  to  God  is  transformed  to  filial  love ;  if  the 
love  of  sin  is  exchanged  for  the  love  of  holiness ; 
if  self-denial  for  the»good  of  others  assumes  the 
place  of  selfishness ;  if  the  soul  is  animated  with  a 
desire  in  all  things  to  do  the  whole  will  of  God ;  if 
it  is  enabled  to  look  with  a  holy  contempt  upon  all 
that  this  world  can  offer  when  it  stands  in  compe- 
tition with  the  eternal  weight  of  glory,  then,  surely, 
there  is  room  enough  for  such  an  exhibition  of 
these  truths,  in  contrast  with  the  workings  of  the 
unrenewed  heart,  as  shall  enable  men  to  discover 
their  moral  condition  in  the  sight  of  God. 


THE  EDIFICATION  OF  BELIEVERS.  93 

That  there  is  need  of  such  preaching,  I  think  is 
evident  from  the  condition  of  many  of  our  chnrches. 
I  fear  that  of  those  who  make  a  profession  of  reli- 
gion among  us,  many  do  not  enjoy  the  comfort  of 
a  firm  and  assured  hope  resting  on  a  scriptural 
foundation.  Do  we  not  find  some  whose  hope 
rests  upon  the  fact  of  their  supposed  conversion 
some  fifteen  or  twenty  years  since ;  others  on  their 
love  to  the  particular  church  with  which  they  are 
connected;  others  on  the  perfect  orthodoxy  of 
their  belief;  and  others  on  the  fact  that  they  would 
not  give  up  their  hope  for  a  thousand  worlds?  It 
is  unnecessary  here  to  state  that  none  of  these  is  a 
foundation  on  which  to  rest  the  destinies  of  an  im- 
mortal soul.  Such  persons  are,  therefore,  destitute  of 
one  of  the  greatest  blessings :  a  good  hope  through 
grace.  I  would,  however,  by  no  means  assert  that 
all  such  persons  are  of  course  destitute  of  true 
piety.  There  may  exist  in  their  characters  genu- 
ine evidences  of  a  renewed  mind,  which  they  them- 
selves have  never  learned  to  appreciate.  Were 
these  faithfully  and  clearly  exhibited,  they  might 
attain  a  well-grounded  hope,  and  their  present 
grounds  of  reliance  would  vanish  away.  But  of 
such  persons  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  many 
must  be  self-deceived.  Hence  the  great  impor- 
tance of  urging  upon  all  men  the  necessity  of 
self-examination,  and  of  teaching  them  what  are 


94  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL, 

the  certain  evidences  of  a .  renewed  nature.  The 
true  disciple  would  then  find  within  himself  the 
evidences  that  he  was  in  the  narrow  way  that  lead- 
eth  unto  life ;  and,  knowing  in  whom^lie  believed, 
would  grow  in  grace  and  become  a  steadfast  and 
established  Christian.  The  hope  of  the  self-de- 
ceived would  wither  away,  and  he  would  be  made 
aware  of  his  danger  before  it  was  too  late.  I  know 
of  no  preaching  that  would,  with  the  blessing  of 
God,  tend  more  directly  to  the  building  up  of 
Christians  in  their  most  holy  faith,  than  that  in 
which  this  subject  is  set  forth  with  faithfulness, 
simplicity,  and  unfeigned  love.  Thus  when  the 
prophet  speaks  of  an  improved  condition  of  reli- 
gion in  the  ancient  church, — "when  they  that  feared 
the  Lord  spake  often  one  to  another,  and  the  Lord 
hearkened  and  heard  it ;  and  a  book  of  remem- 
brance was  written  before  him  for  them  that  feared 
the  Lord  and  that  thought  upon  his  name,"  —  he 
adds  :  "  Then  shall  ye  return  and  discern  between 
the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  —  between  him  that 
serveth  God,  and  him  that  serveth  him  not." 

The  effect  of  this  sort  of  preaching  upon  the 
irreligious  part  of  a  congregation  cannot  but  be 
beneficial.  When  the  evidences  of  a  renewed  and 
unrenewed  soul  are  plainly  set  forth,  such  persons 
must  clearly  see  that  they  have  no  reason  to 
believe  themselves  children  of  God.     They  must 


THE  EDIFICATION  OF  BELIEVERS.  95 

be  driven  to  the  conclusion  that  if  the  religion  of 
the  gospel  be  true,  they  are  in  great  danger.  Their 
minds  are  thus  open  to  conviction.  The  terrors  of 
the  law  have  now  a  personal  application  to  them- 
selves, and  they  may  thus  be  led  to  seek  for  that 
which  they  know  they  have  not,  and  which  has 
undoubtedly  a  real  existence. 

For  what  reason  I  know  not,  this  style  of  preach- 
ing has  gone  almost  out  of  vogue.  It  seems  indeed 
taken  for  granted,  that  every  one  whose  name  is 
recorded  on  the  books  of  a  church  has  his  name 
also  written  in  the  book  of  life;  that  all  the  virgins 
who  went  forth  to  meet  the  bridegroom  were  wise ; 
and  that  the  solemn  cautions  in  the  Scriptures 
against  self-deception  and  apostasy,  have,  for  some 
reason,  become  useless  and  inappropriate.  It  would 
appear  that  it  is  considered  in  bad  taste  to  suggest 
that  any  of  the  members  of  the  church  are  in 
danger,  through  self-deception  or  apostasy,  of  being 
lost  forever.  The  apostles  certainly  did  not  take 
this  view  of  the  subject.  The  same  want  of  faith- 
fulness is  liable  to  appear  in  our  addresses  to  the 
congregation.  Who  would  suppose,  from  much 
of  our  preaching,  that  there  is  a  large  part  of  every 
audience  unreconciled  to  God ;  enemies  to  him  by 
wicked  works,  and  at  this  very  moment  in  danger 
of  eternal  perdition?  The  aim  of  our  preaching  y/ 
would   seem    to   be  to  send   every   hearer   away 


96  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

well  pleased ;  and  so  to  allude  to  the  most  solemn 
realities,  that  no  one  should  be  so  far  removed 
from  his  proprieties  as  to  cry  out,  Men  and  breth- 
ren, what  shall  I  do  ?  Hence  it  is  not  surprising 
that  many  a  professor  of  religion  quiets  himself 
with  the  belief  that  he  is  as  good  as  his  brethren, 
while  those  who  have  made  no  profession  consider 
themselves  not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  heaven ; 
indeed,  so  near  to  it  that  they  can  step  into  it  at 
any  moment,  and  that,  if  they  do  not,  it  is  no  great 
matter,  for  that,  somehow  or  other,  such  persons  as 
they  will  eventually  be  saved.  I  ask.  Does  not  our 
preaching  tend  to  precisely  this  result  in  the  con- 
gregations of  every  denomination?  I  do  not  mean 
that  such  a  belief  is  openly  avowed,  but  does  it  not 
commonly  exist  everywhere  around  us  ?  Is  it,  then, 
a  matter  of  surprise  that  there  are  so  few  conver- 
sions among  our  hearers  in  middle  life ;  and  that 
such  numbers  attend  the  worship  of  God  for  a  life- 
time, and  quietly  die  without  having  ever  had  a 
single  solemn,  earnest  thought  of  God,  of  salvation, 
or  the  judgment  to  come?  Does  this  correspond 
with  the  apostle's  view  of  the  ministry  of  the  gos- 
pel :  "  Now,  then,  we  are  ambassadors  for  Christ ; 
as  though  God  did  beseech  you  by  us,  we  pray  you, 
in  Christ's  stead,  be  ye  reconciled  to  God"? 

This  letter  is  already  too  long;  but,  before  I 


THE  EDIFICATION  OF  BELIEVERS.  97 

conclude,  I  must  consider  practical  religion  as  a 
field  for  the  labor  of  the  preacher. 

I  have  long  since  been  convinced  that  we  all 
greatly  err  in  not  preaching  with  faithfulness  and 
jDlainness  upon  the  conduct  which  Christ  requires 
of  his  disciples.  Many  of  our  hearers,  and  not  a 
few  religious  men,  are  guilty  of  habitual  wrong- 
doing simply  from  ignorance,  an  ignorance  which 
should  have  been  dispelled  by  our  teachings  from 
the  pulpit. 

Christians,  as  we  all  know,  have  been  taken  out 
from  the  world  in  which  all  their  previous  habits 
have  been  formed.  They  once  obeyed  the  com- 
mands, and  accepted  without  a  question  the  max- 
ims and  precedents,  of  the  society  by  which  they 
were  surrounded.  Adjusting  their  moral  standard 
by  the  public  opinion  of  their  neighbors,  their  ac- 
tions gave  no  alarm  to  their  conscience.  When 
the  light  of  the  Holy  Spirit  shone  into  their  hearts, 
it  first  of  all  displayed  to  them  their  sin  against 
God.  "Against  thee,  thee  only,  have  I  sinned,  and 
done  evil  in  thy  sight."  And  when  the  soul  submit- 
ted to  God,  it  joyfully  covenanted  to  keep  all  his 
commandments,  as  far  as  it  should  know  them ;  but 
of  many  of  the  requirements  of  that  law,  which  is 
exceeding  broad,  he  must  of  necessity  be  ignorant. 
A  blind  man  restored  to  sight  sees  the  sun  clearly, 
which  he  never  saw  before ;  but  time  and  instruc- 
7 


98  MINISTRY  OF  TEE  GOSPEL. 

tion  are  necessary  before  he  will  be  able  to  discover 
and  appreciate  the  ordinary  objects  of  every-day 
life.  So  the  renewed  man,  while  truly  submitting 
his  whole  soul  to  God,  may  not  at  first  see  the  ap- 
\  plication  of  the  moral  law  to  every  condition  and 
relation  of  life.  He  greatly  needs  instruction  on 
this  subject,  and  will  generally  receive  it  with 
affectionate  gratitude.  I  know  of  no  means  by 
which  a  pastor  can  more  surely  endear  himself  to 
his  people,  than  by  teaching  them  how  they  may 
obey  the  law  of  God  more  perfectly. 

I  will  come  to  particular  instances,  for  thus  only 
can  I  hope  to  be  understood.  How  few  youthful 
Christians  hesitate  to  spend  a  large  portion  of 
their  time  in  reading  works  of  fiction,  which  tend 
to  no  other  end  than  to  fill  the  memory  with  friv- 
olous conceptions,  and  pictures  that  allure  us  to- 
wards sin  !  The  book  displays  talent,  it  gratifies 
the  love  of  excitement ;  and  the  question  whether 
such  a  use  of  time  is  innocent,  or  whether  it  pre- 
pares the  soul  for  the  indwelling  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  has  never  occurred  to  the  thoughtless  dis- 
ciple. How  large  a  portion  of  the  time  of  Chris- 
tian people  is  consumed  in  fashionable  calling,  social 
dissipation,  trifling  conversation,  and  attendance 
upon  places  of  what  is  called  innocent  amusement, 
while  they  habitually  complain  that  they  have 
small  time  for  reading  the  Scriptures  and  private 


THE  EDIFICATION   OF  BELIEVERS.  99 

devotion,  and  none  for  the  meeting  for  prayer! 
How  few  Christians  carry  their  religion  into  poli- 
tics, whilGvthe  great  majority  vote  with  their  party, 
without  any  regard  to  their  allegiance  to, Christ! 
How  many  Christian  merchants,  having  received 
their  mercantile  education  under  an  unscrupulous 
and  successful  man  of  the  world,  have  in  youth 
lost  their  sensibility  of  conscience,  and  now,  from 
long  habit,  daily  violate  the  teachings  of  the  Ser- 
mon on  the  Mount,  hardly  suspecting  that  they  are 
doing  wrong !  How  few  of  the  transactions  of 
trade  are  carried  on  upon  the  principles  of  strict 
veracity,  while  men  take  for  their  rule  the  conduct 
of  others  to  them,  instead  of  the  law  of  the  blessed 
Saviour !  How  many  persons,  of  whom,  in  most 
respects,  we  think  well,  are  in  the  habit  of  large 
exaggeration!  Do  Christian  men  of  business  know 
that  in  the  manner  and  the  amount  of  their  gain, 
and  the  use  which  they  make  of  it,  they  are  under 
the  law  of  Christ,  that  law  delivered  to  us  in  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount  ?  Do  Christian  men  know 
that  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eyes,  and 
the  pride  of  life,  are,  each  one,  not  of  the  Father, 
but  of  the  world  ;  and  that  God  gives  us  prosperity 
that  we  may  employ  it  for  the  promotion  of  that 
cause  for  which  his  Son  became  incarnate,  and  not 
for  the  gratification  of  those  desires  which  offend 
him  and  ruin  our  own  souls  ?     The  effect  of  this 


100  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

want  of  practical  knowledge  of  our  duty  is  most  de- 
plorable. The  American  Board  of  Commissioners 
for  Foreign  Missions,  an  institution  that  has  no 
superior  in  Christendom,  and  which  collects  its 
funds  from  all  the  Northern  States,  does  not  re- 
ceive annually  as  much  as  is  spent  in  the  city  of 
New  York  for  cigars.  A  small  city  in  New  Eng- 
land, of  fifty  thousand  inhabitants,  collected  in  a 
few  days,  for  bounty  to  volunteers,  as  much  as  the 
annual  receipts  of  the  American  Baptist  Missionary 
Union.  Does  this  look  as  though  our  brethren  of 
all  denominations  had  been  taught  the  Christian 
duty  of  stewardship  ? 

Must  there  not  be  something  wrong  here  ?  Are 
we  in  the  habit  of  setting  forth,  with  all  plainness, 
the  claims  of  the  law  of  Christ?  Do  we  not 
only  urge  our  hearers  to  be  dead  to  the  world, 
but  do  we  tell  them  explicitly  what  being  dead  to 
the  world  means  ?  Who  of  us  has,  from  the  pul- 
jDit,  instructed  his  people  in  the  doctrine  of  vera- 
city, tracing  the  violations  of  this  law  in  its  most 
prominent  forms,  in  the  house  and  store  and 
counting-room,  and  in  the  various  forms  of  social 
intercourse?  Do  not  our  people,  then,  sin  for  want 
of  knowledge?  I  remember  an  instance  which 
illustrates  my  meaning  in  this  respect.  A  clergy- 
man in  a  populous  town  in  New  England  preached 
a  sermon  on  the    text,    "Thou    shalt  not   steal." 


THE  EDIFICATION  OF  BELIEVERS.  101 

On  Monday  morning  the  streets  were  all  alive 
with  persons  carrying  back  to  their  owners  books, 
utensils,  and  every  variety  of  articles  which  they 
had  borrowed,  but  which,  from  carelessness,  they 
had  for  years  neglected  to  return.  They  were  no 
sooner  reminded  of  their  duty,  than  they  cheer- 
fully hastened  to  perform  it.  It  is  from  the  want 
of  such  preaching  that  the  church  of  Christ  is  so 
sadly  conformed  to  the  world.  When  the  con- 
duct of  professors  (^f  religion  cannot  be  distin- 
guished from  that  of  men  of  this  world,  of  what 
use  is  it  for  a  minister  to  insist  on  the  necessity 
of  a  new  birth?  How  great  is  the  danger  of 
Christians  who  are  living  a  worldly  life!  Says 
Baxter,  "  How  tenderly  do  we  deal  with  the  sins 
that  are  so  cruelly  destroying  the  souls  of  our 
people  ! " 

But  it  may  possibly  be  asked.  Should  a  minister 
use  personalities  in  the  pulpit  ?  I  answer.  If  he 
does,  he  ought  never  to  enter  it.  To  use  the 
oflfice  of  an  ambassador  of  Christ  for  the  purpose 
of  personal  abuse,  is  shameful  and  intolerable. 
This  is  not  needed  in  order  to  the  faithful  dis- 
charge of  our  duty.  He  may  be  faithful  to  Christ 
without  being  abusive  to  men.  Chalmers  preached 
his  sermons  on  "  The  application  of  the  principles 
of  the  gospel  to  mercantile  transactions,"  on 
Thursdays,  to  the  merchants  of  Glasgow.      His 


102  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

message  was  delivered  with  burning  earnestness, 
irresistible  power,  and  unshrinking  fidelity;  yet, 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  series,  there 
is  not  a  single  shade  of  personality.  Why  should 
we  not  do  so  to  our  people  ?  Many  of  them  sin 
through  ignorance,  and  would  thank  us  foi  teach- 
ing them  their  duty  more  plainly.  If  any  of  them 
know  their  duty  and  are  violating  it  for  the  sake 
of  lucre,  or  any  worldly  motive,  they  specially 
need  that  ^heir  sin  should  be  plainly  set  before 
them.  Do  we  please  men  or  God  ?  Are  we 
moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  soothe  men  into  a 
slumber  from  which  they  will  awake  only  in  a 
lost  eternity,  or  to  arouse  them  from  their  fatal 
security,  and  beseech  them  to  be  reconciled  to 
God? 

Perhaps  I  may  be  allowed  to  mention  a  case 
within  my  own  knowledge,  in  connection  with 
this  subject.  At  the  commencement  of  the  tem- 
perance movement,  in  common  with  many  of  my 
brethren,  I  preached  on  the  duties  of  Christians, 
in  reference  to  this,  the  sin  in  question.  A  day  or 
two  afterwards  one  of  the  most  pious  members  of 
my  church,  who  was  largely  engaged  in  the  whole- 
sale liquor  trade,  came  to  see  me,  and  said  that 
if  what  I  had  said  was  true  he  must  relinquish 
this  part  of  his  business.  In  a  short  time,  at  a 
great  pecuniary  sacrifice,  he  did  so,  and  became 


THE  EDIFICA  TION  OF  BELIEVERS.  1 03 

one  of  the  strongest  supporters  of  the  cause  of 
temperance.  He  remained  to  the  close  of  his  life 
one  of  my  clearest  friends.  This  individual  was 
the  late  John  Sullivan,  of  Boston. 

But,  it  may  be  said,  if  we  preach  the  gospel  of 
Christ  in  such  simplicity,  we  shall  drive  away  / 
from  our  churches  the  wealthy,  the  refined,  the 
cultivated,  and  the  intellectual ;  or,  if  they  remain, 
they  will  not  be  interested  in  our  ministrations. 
I  must  say,  I  doubt  it.  Cultivated  men  have  a 
conscience,  as  well  as  other  men ;  and  it  is  to  the 
conscience  that  the  truth  of  the  gospel  commends 
itself  By  addressing  the  taste  and  the  imagina- 
tion instead  of  the  conscience,  we  throw  away  at 
once  the  great  instrument  of  our  power.  But 
grant  that  all  this  be  so.  I  ask,  are  not  all 
souls  of  equal  value  ?  Would  a  minister  preach 
in  Latin  because  one  tenth  of  his  congregation 
preferred  that  language,  while  to  nine  tenths  he 
would  preach  in  an  unknown  tongue  ?  The  same 
objection  seems  to  have  been  made  to  the  preach- 
ing of  St.  Paul  at  Corinth;  and  how  does  he 
answer  it?  — "For  ye  see  by  our  calling,  brethren, 
how  that  not  many  wise  men  after  the  flesh,  not 
many  mighty,  not  many  noble  are  called ;  but  God 
hath  chosen  the  foolish  things  of  the  world  to 
confound  the  wise,  and  God  hath  chosen  the  weak 
things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  things  that 


104  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

are  mighty ;  and  base  things  of  the  world,  and 
things  that  are  despised,  hath  God  chosen ;  yea, 
and  things  that  are  not,  to  bring  to  nought  things 
that  are,  that  no  flesh  should  glory  in  his  pres- 
ence." 

I  am,  yours,  truly. 


LETTER    VI. 

MANNER  OF  PREACHING. 

Mt  Dear  Brother  ; 

T  HAVE  written  in  my  last  letter  about  the 
-*-  matter  of  a  minister's  preaching.  I  have  now 
some  remarks  to  make  concerning  the  manner 
of  it. 

The  manner  in  which  the  message  of  the  gospel 
should  be  communicated  is  apparent,  if  we  con- 
sider the  nature  of  the  message  and  the  persons 
to  whom  it  is  addressed.  Here  is  a  company  of 
human  beings  about  to  enter  an  eternity  in  which 
there  can  be  no  change.  This  short  and  uncertain 
life  is  their  only  period  of  probation.  The  decree 
must  soon  go  forth,  "  He  that  is  holy,  let  him  be 
holy  still;  and  he  that  is  filthy,  let  him  be  filthy 
still."  All  are  sinners  against  God,  and  deserving 
his  condemnation.  In  infinite  love  he  has  pro- 
vided, through  the  atonement  of  his  Son,  a  way 
of  pardon  and  reconciliation,  the  benefits  of  which 
he  offers  freely  to  all  who  will  repent  and  believe. 
He  has  sent  this  man  to  make  known  this  good 


106  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

news  to  this  people,  and  to  plead  with  them  to 
accept  of  it.  If  they  reject  it,  they  sink  under  the 
condemnation  of  the  law  which  they  have  broken  ; 
if  they  accept  it,  they  rise  to  glory  and  everlasting 
life.  Most  of  this  audience  are  unreconciled  to 
God,  liable  at  every  moment  to  j^lunge  into  a  lost 
eternity.  Others  profess  to  have  embraced  the 
message  of  salvation ;  but  they  are  liable  to  self- 
deception,  and,  in  a  world  abounding  in  tempta- 
tions, may  be  seduced  into  apostasy.  Such  is  the 
message,  and  such  the  condition  of  the  people, 
whom  a  minister  addresses  every  time  he  rises  in 
the  pulpit.  Was  not  the  question  of  the  apostle 
appropriate,  "Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things?" 
But  it  is  to  be  observed  that  this  audience  is  of 
a  very  miscellaneous  character.  They  are  of  ev- 
ery age,  from  the  child  in  the  Sabbath  school  to 
its  venerable  grandparent.  There  are  assembled 
men  and  women  of  every  variety  of  cultivation. 
A  small  portion  of  the  audience  may  be  persons 
of  educated  and  disciplined  minds ;  the  greater 
part  belong  to  the  middle  walks  of  life ;  some  are 
poor  ;  many  are  young  persons,  just  entering  upon 
the  realities  of  the  world,  or,  if  more  advanced, 
are  men  of  active  business,  of  strong  common- 
sense,  though  destitute  of  the  advantages  of  liter- 
ary culture.  Great  as  may  be  these  differences,  in 
one  respect  they  are  all  on  a  level :  all  are  tending 


MANNER  OF  PREACHING.  107 

to  the  same  judgment-seat,  and  all  must  hear  the 
announcement,  "Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,"   ^ 
or,  "Depart,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasthig  fire;"  and 
their  final  condition  depends  upon  the  reception 
which  they  give  to  the  message  of  salvation. 

Such  being  the  audience,  and  such  the  occasion 
of  his  address,  it  is  obvious  that  the  first  requisite 
in  the  manner  of  the  minister's  communication,  is, 
that  he  be  thoroughly  understood  by  every  one  ^ 
of  his  hearers  who  is  of  sufficient  capacity  to 
comprehend  his  message. 

1.  His  loords  must  be  such  as  all  his  audience, 
of  ordinary  capacity,  can  understand.  The  mes-  -^ 
sage  of  salvation  was  first  communicated  to  men, 
by  the  Son  of  God,  in  such  language  that  the 
common  people  heard  him  gladly.  The  gospel 
may  be  understood  by  little  children,  else  what  is 
the  use  of  Sabbath  schools?  Janeway's  "Token 
for  Children"  relates  many  cases  of  conversion  in 
quite  young  persons.  The  daughter  of  President 
Edwards  gave  unequivocal  evidences  of  piety,  I 
think,  at  the  age  of  four  years.  In  a  very  interest- 
ing revival  with  which  I  was  acquainted,  one  of 
the  most  interesting  converts  was  an  intelligent 
young  person,  of  eight  years  of  age,  who  has  lately 
finished  her  course  with  joy.  We  all  believe 
that  Sabbath-school  teachers  should  labor  for  the 
immediate  conversion  of  their  pupils ;  but  this, 


108  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

of  course,  supposes  it  possible  that  they  can  make 
themselves  understood.  It  may  be  said  that  these 
teachers  are  young  persons  and  imperfectly  edu- 
cated, and  it  cannot  be  expected  that  learned  men 
can  render  their  weighty  thoughts  comprehensible 
to  children  and  ignorant  men  and  women.  Then, 
I  say,  if  the  effect  of  learning  is  to  keep  men  from 
being  understood  by  the  common  people,  the  less 
we  have  of  it  the  better.  The  use  of  learning  is 
to  make  these  truths  perfectly  plain  ;  and  he  who 
renders  it  the  means  of  making  them  obscure, 
deserves  to  be  esteemed  a  smatterer  and  a  sham. 
We  may  be  pretty  sure  that  his  learning  is  little, 
and  his  common-sense  less. 

I  say  that  the  words  used  in  the  pulpit  should 
be  such  as  the  whole  audience  can  understand. 
It  is  not  sufficient  that  the  words  can  be  found  in 
Webster's  or  Worcester's  Dictionary,  or  that  they 
occur  sometimes  in  magazines  and  reviews.  Peo- 
ple do  not  carry  either  Webster  or  Worcester  to 
church  with  them ;  nor  is  the  percentage  large,  in 
any  ordinary  congregation,  who  read  magazines 
and  reviews.  The  words  should  be,  in  the  main, 
such  as  we  would  use  in  Qoramon  conversation 
with  the  people  whom  we  address  ;^that  is,  estab- 
lished and  well-known  English.  In  some  denomi- 
nations, the  use  of  abstract  theological  terms, 
intended  to  convey  the  endless  distinctions  of  the 


MANNER  OF  PREACHING.  109 

schoolmen,  is  common.  When  I  say  theological,  I 
refer  to  those  terms  which  have  been  invented  to 
express  the  ideas  of  man,  and  not  the  words  used  in 
Scripture  to  express  the  ideas  of  God.  Whatever 
may  be  said  to  the  contrary,  I  can  hardly  con- 
ceive that  a  minister  can  use  the  language  of  the 
Scriptures  in  the  pulpit  too  freely,  provided  he 
use  it  appropriately  and  reverently.  Let  a  man 
read  the  sermons  of  Leighton,  and  Baxter,  or  Jay, 
or  Payson,  if  he  would  learn  how  greatly  familiar- 
ity with  the  language  of  the  Scripture  adds  to  the 
power  of  him  w^ho  addresses  his  fellow-men  on 
the  subject  of  their  salvation. 

I  remember,  nevertheless,  that  John  Foster,  a 
very  high  authority,  attributes  the  aversion  of  men 
of  taste  to  revealed  religon,  in  part,  at  least,  to 
the  irreverent,  and  frequently  ludicrous  manner, 
in  which  the  Scriptures  are  quoted  in  the  pulpit. 
There  may  be,  no  doubt,  a  foundation  for  the  cen- 
sure of  the  great  essayist ;  though  it  must  be  a 
very  slight  one,  for  the  preachers  whom  he  con- 
demns, and  the  persons  whom  he  supposes  to  be 
injured  by  them,  do  not  often  come  in  contact. 
Be  this,  however,  as  it  may,  the  effect  of  the  essay 
has  been,  I  think,  upon  the  whole,  decidedly  mis- 
chievous. It  has  led  many  preachers  to  suppose 
that  it  was  out  of  taste,  or  indicative  of  a  want  of 
education,  or,  in  fact,  decidedly  rustic,  to  quote 


110  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

frequently  from  the  Scriptures.  It  has  led  to  the 
belief  that  the  language  of  the  pulpit  must  have 
nothing  to  distinguish  it  from  that  of  any  secular 
composition,  and  that  a  popular  article  in  a  review- 
may  well  serve  as  a  model  for  the  style  of  a  ser-. 
mon.  Hence  the  style  of  the  pulpit  is  becoming 
secular;  and  frequently,  after  the  reading  of  the 
text,  you  will  not  hear  a  Scriptural  expression 
until  the  final  amen,  which  has  not  yet  been  dis- 
pensed with.  The  same  paper  has  not  very  un- 
frequently  been  put  to  triple  duty.  It  first  appears 
as  a  sermon,  then  as  a  platform  address,  or  as  a 
lecture  before  some  literary  society,  and  then  as  an 
article  for  some  popular  magazine,  to  which  it 
may  easily  be  adapted  by  cutting  off  the  text  and 
omitting  a  few  sentences  of  the  closing  paragraph. 
It  has  thus  naturally  come  to  the  pass,  that 
words  are  introduced  into  sermons  which  a  great 
part  of  the  audience  never  meet  with  in  their  lim- 
ited reading,  or  hear  used  in  ordinary  conversa- 
tion. Some  of  these  are  derived  from  the  Latin, 
but  a  greater  part  from  the  German.  We  hear 
much  of  the  "objective  and  subjective,"  of  "stand- 
points," "of  the  great  problem  of  human  exist- 
ence," and  a  variety  of  other  problems.  Allusion 
is  frequent  to  such  sciences  as  Political  Economy, 
Chemistry,  Geology,  and  Astronomy.  Each  one 
of  these  furnishes  its  addition  to  the  vocabulary 


MANNER  OF  PREACHING.  Ill 

of  the  pulpit,  to  say  nothing  of  the  terras  some- 
times derived  from  spiritualism  and  its  kindred 
delusions.  Now  all  this  seems  to  me  unfortunate. 
If  these  terms  are  understood,  they  bring  the  mes- 
sage of  God  into  too  near  a  relation  to  things 
secular;  if  not  understood,  they  clothe  the  whole 
discourse  with  mist  and  obscurity,  —  it  may  be  a 
bright  mist,  but  it  is  a  mist  notwithstanding. 
With  the  vain  and  frivolous  it  may  give  the 
preacher  a  reputation  for  great  depth  of  learning ;  / 
for  men  generally  consider  that  to  be  profound 
which  they  do  not  understand.  I  ask,  Is  there 
any  idea  on  the  great  subject  of  man's  salvation, 
is  there  any  idea  which  the  Holy  Spirit  would 
have  us  communicate  to  men,  which  cannot  be 
expressed  in  plain  Saxon-English  ?  This  is  the 
language  which  all  men  understand;  and,  for  plain- 
ness and  force,  it  stands  unrivalled.  Can  any 
man  give  a  sufficient  reason  why  we  should  not 
use  it  in  our  addresses  from  the  pulpit  ? 

But  the  style  of  the  pulpit,  if  I  apprehend  it 
aright,  is  also  in  some  respects  exceptionable.  Ira- 
proper  words  occur  only  occasionally;  but  style 
pervades  everything.  I  fear  that  the  tendency  of 
the  pulpit  is  to  a  style  which,  in  a  great  raeasure, 
fails  to  accomplish  the  purpose  for  which  it  is  'm-\l 
tended.  It  is  a  written  and  not  a  spoken  style. 
It  deals  with  .truth  in  the  abstrnct,  and  is  rather 


112  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

suited  to  a  dissertation  than  a  popular  address. 
The  most  solemn  truths  are  so  indirectly  alluded 
to,  that  the  hearer  either  fails  to  comprehend  the 
meaning  of  the  speaker,  or  else  sees  it  through  a 
glass  darkly,  and  never  thinks  of  it  as  a  matter 
of  personal  application.  The  tendency  is  to  show 
how  things  are,  and  not  what  we,  as  individuals, 
have  to  do.  We  sometimes  hear  an  attempt  fo 
elucidate  some  thesis  more  or  less  connected  with 
revealed  truth, — handsomely  written,  adorned  with 
figurative  language,  and  illustrated  by  allusions  to 
the  literature  of  the  day,  —  leaving  the  hearers  to 
make  the  application,  if  indeed  there  is  any  appli- 
cation to  be  made.  The  sentences  are  all  cor- 
rectly constructed.  The  manuscript  is  prepared 
for  the  press,  if  any  are  desirous  to  print  it.  But 
its  mode  of  communicating  truth  is  very  different 
from  that  which  men  use  when  they  address  each 
other  on  a  subject  of  practical  importance.  And 
what  are  the  hearers  doing  during  its  delivery? 
Within  a  few  minutes  after  the  preacher  has  com- 
menced, one  eye' after  another  begins  to  gaze  on 
vacancy,  the  mind  has  wandered  off  in  some  other 
direction ;  a  large  part  of  the  audience  has  evi- 
dently lost  the  train  of  thought,  if  there  be  a  train 
of  thought ;  watches  begin  to  be  pulled  out ;  one 
after  another  falls  asleep;  only  here  and  there  is 
one  to  be  found  who  has  followed  the  speaker  to 


MANNER  OF  PREACHING,  113 

the  close.  Nor  is  this  to  be  wondered  at ;  on  the 
contrary,  it  is  just  what  might  have  been  ex- 
pected. The  sermon  has  been  composed,  not  for 
these  men  and  women  and  children,  but  for  the 
author's  conception  of  humanity  in  the  abstract ; 
that  is,  for  a  certain  being  possessed  of  taste, 
understanding,  and  possibly  conscience  ;  or,  if 
for  the  audience  addressed,  for  only  one  in  twenty 
of  them.  The  one  in  twenty  may  have  followed 
the  speaker ;  but  it  was  not  designed  for  the  rest, 
and  the  rest  neither  understood  nor  even  heard  it. 
We  frequently  hear  of  the  eloquence  of  Demos- 
thenes. His  Philippics  were  addressed  to  the 
public  assembly  of  the  citizens  of  Athens,  and 
have  transmitted  his  name  to  us  with  imperishable 
honor.  Yet  I  do  not  believe  that  there  was  a 
man  in  all  that  vast  assembly  who  did  not  under- 
stand every  sentence  on  the  instant  that  Demos- 
thenes uttered  it.  Their  whole  essence  is,  as  it 
appears  to  me,  plain,  simple,  concentrated,  burn- 
ing common-sense.  We  search  these  discourses  ^y 
in  vain  for  the  flowers  of  rhetoric,  for  fine  writing 
in  any  of  its  forms,  for  beauty  of  expression  which 
shall  disguise  an  important  truth ;  but  we  see 
everywhere  the  outpouring  of  a  soul  intensely  in 
earnest,  which  can  find  utterance  in  nothing  but 
the  most  direct  appeal,  the  most  pungent  questions, 
and  the  simplest  reasonings  from  what  they  all 
8 


114  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL, 

knew  and  felt,  thus  coming  home  to  the  business 
and  bosom  of  every  man  who  heard  him.  No  one 
left  that  assembly  praising  Demosthenes  for  being 
a  fine  writer,  or  an  elegant  rhetorician  ;  but  every 
man  learned  that  there  was  something  for  him 
to  do,  and  the  universal  cry  arose,  "Let  us  march 
against  Philip."  So  the  sermon  which  creates  in 
the  hearer  nothing  but  admiration  of  the  speaker, 
is  always  a  failure.  That  only  is  a  successful  ser- 
mon which  sends  every  hearer  to  his  closet  with 
the  importunate  inquiry,  "  What  shall  I  do  to  be 
saved?" 

I  cannot  leave  the  consideration  of  the  manner 
of  preaching,  without  expressing  the  opinion  that 
we  have  greatly  erred  in  substituting  reading  from 
a  manuscript  for  direct,  unwritten  address.  If  a 
dissertation  on  some  religious  subject  were  uttered 
without  notes,  the  speaker  would  frequently  grow 
warm  in  the  delivery,  and  eye  meeting  eye,  he 
would  commonly  attract  the  attention  of  a  portion, 
at  least,  of  an  audience.  A  mutual  sympathy 
binds  men  together  when  they  look  into  each 
other's  faces ;  it  acts  and  re-acts  on  both  parties ; 
and  the  speaker  instinctively  labors  to  carry  the 
^  audience  along  with  him.  But  when  an  abstract 
dissertation  on  some  not  very  interesting  topic  is 
deliberately  read  to  an  assembly,  the  eyes  of  the 
speaker  being  riveted  to  his  manuscript,  and  never 


MANNER  OF  PREACHING.  115 

meeting  those  of  his  audience,  the  effect  npon  the 
hearers  must  be  as  small  as  possible.  Now,  is  not 
the  tendency  of  much  of  our  preaching  towards 
this  absolute  negative  of  all  practical  effect  ?  Do 
not  our  audiences  commonly  leave  the  house  of 
God  as  unconcerned  about  the  great  subject  of  the 
soul's  salvation  as  they  entered  it  ?  The  conver- 
sion of  a  sinner  under  a  sermon  has  come  to  be  a 
very  rare  occurrence.  A  few  are  j)leased  with  the 
style,  a  few  admire  the  imagery,  a  few  suppose  it  to 
be  profound,  because  they  do  i>ot  understand  it; 
but  no  one  is  made  to  feel  himself  a  sinner  against 
God,  and  no  one  asks,  "What  shall  I  do  to  be 
saved  ?"  And,  alas  !  if  he  should  ask  the  question, 
would  he  find  anything  in  the  sermon  to  answer 
it? 

These  two  methods  of  preparation  for  the  pul- 
pit tend  to  awaken  dissimilar  states  of  religious 
feeling.  When  we  write  in  a  quiet  study,  we 
may  it  is  true,  and  if  we  believe  what  we  preach 
we  actually  do,  look  up  to  the  Holy  Spirit  for 
his  guidance  and  direction.  But  still  the  ten- 
dency  is  apt  to  be  rather  to  the  intellectual  than 
the  moral.  In  writing  we  strive  to  present  some  / 
doctrine  clearly,  to  express  it  correctly  and  rhetor-  y 
ically,  and  if  we  have  done  this  to  be  satisfied. 
We  cannot  rise  to  that  feeling  of  earnestness 
which  enables  us  to  press  home  the  truth  which 


116  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

we  have  presented,  directly  and  affectionately 
upon  the  conscience.  We  feel  that  we  cannot 
write  what  we  know  we  ought  to  say ;  at  least 
this,  I  must  confess,  has  been  my  own  experience. 
During  the  preparation  of  the  manuscript  there  is 
none  of  that  sensibility  of  the  presence  of  an 
audience  that  makes  a  preacher  tremble  in  his 
knees,  without  which  it  is  said  that  no  one  ever 
spoke  well.  The  sermon  is  arranged  according  to 
the  rules,  and  by  this  test  the  writer  knows  that 
it  is  a  good  one,  that  the  audience  ought  to  like  it; 
and  with  this  he  is  too  prone  to  be  content.  He 
enters  the  pulpit  with  more  or  less  of  this  assur- 
ance. He  has  no  need  to  pray  for  the  assistance 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  so  far  as  the  matter  is  con- 
cerned, for  that  is  all  prepared  already.  He  may 
pray  that  it  may  be  received  into  good  hearts,  but 
he  has  no  wish  that  it  be  different  from  what  it  is. 
He  has  no  fear  of  breaking  down,  if  only  his  voice 
and  eye-sight  remain ;  for  it  is  all  plainly  written 
out  to  a  syllable  before  him.  He  reads  it  with 
such  animation  as  may  be  natural  to  him,  or  with 
none  at  all,  looking  steadily  at  his  manuscript,  and 
rarely  or  never  catching  the  eyes  of  his  audience. 
If  he  makes  a  gesture,  it  is  with  his  eyes  fixed  on 
his  paper;  one  hand  on  the  line  which  he  is  in 
danger  of  losing,  and  the  other  sawing  the  air 
without  any  kind  of  significance.    When  he  closes, 


MANNER  OF  PREA  CHING.  117 

he  perhaps  feels  that  he  has  not  succeeded  in 
arresting  the  attention  of  the  people.  He  has 
labored  hard,  but  the  result  has  not  corresponded 
with  the  pains  that  he  has  taken.  Something  has 
been  the  matter,  but  he  does  not  know  what  it  is. 
On  the  other  hand,  let  a  man  know  that  he  is 
about  to  address  an  audience  on  a  subject  of  infi- 
nite importance,  looking  them  directly  in  the  eyes, 
and  speaking  as  man  speaketh  to  man,  with  the 
simple  design  of  leading  them  at  once  to  some 
action  which  shall  affect  their  destinies  for  eternity. 
He  prayerfully  selects  a  subject  which  seems  best 
adapted  to  the  wants  of  his  people.  Looking  for 
the  promised  aid  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  endeavors 
to  penetrate  its  meaning,  and  discover  its  applica- 
tions to  those  whom  he  is  to  address.  His  prepara- 
tion is  a  constant  intercourse  between  his  spirit 
and  the  Spirit  of  all  truth.  His  object  is  to  say 
precisely  what  is  given  him  to  say  by  the  Mas- 
ter. The  style  in  which  he  shall  make  known 
the  truth  gives  him  no  uneasiness,  for  he  is  accus- 
tomed in  conversation  to  use  good  English ;  there 
is  no  reason  why  he  should  not  use  it  in  the  pulpit, 
and  that  is  all  that  is  required.  Filled  thus'  with 
his  subject,  he  comes  before  his  people  to  deliver 
his  message.  As  he  looks  around  him,  and  reflects 
upon  the  position  which  he  holds  and  the  conse- 
quences which  may  ensue  to  his  hearers  and  him- 


118  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

self  from  the  service  before  him,  his  heart  sinks 
within  him,  and  he  not  only  knows,  but  feels,  that 
there  is  no  help  for  him  but  in  God.  He  pleads 
the  promises,  and  looks  up  to  the  Holy  Spirit  for 
aid,  casting  aside  all  desire  to  please  men ;  and,  con- 
scious that  he  has  no  other  intention  than  to  de- 
clare the  whole  counsel  of  God,  he  rises  to  speak. 
The  audience  at  once  jDerceive  that  he  is  deeply  in 
earnest.  They  look  w^oii  him  with  sympathy,  such 
as  nothing  but  unaffected  earnestness  can  awaken. 
Their  attention  inspires  him  with  confidence,  and 
he  proceeds  in  the  delivery  of  his  message.  Gain- 
ing strength  as  he  advances,  he  feels  himself  at 
home  before  his  audience  ;  and  when  he  sits  down 
he  is  conscious  that,  to  the  best  of  his  ability,  he 
has  made  known  the  whole  counsel  of  God.  He 
may  frequently,  at  first,  be  aware  of  failure,  and 
find  that,  in  the  agitation  of  the  moment,  the 
thoughts  which  he  deemed  most  important  escaped 
from  his  recollection.  But  with  every  attempt 
the  liability  of  failure  diminishes.  He  acquires  the 
power  of  thinking  on  his  legs.  His  trembling, 
agitated  reliance  on  the  Holy  Spirit  is  changed 
into  habitual  trustful  confidence.  He  never  rises 
in  the  pulpit  without  an  earnest,  cheerful  hope  of 
producing  some  immediate,  practical  effect  upon 
his  hearers.  Nor  is  he  apt  to  be  disappointed. 
The  example  of  his  sincerity  and  love  animates 


MANNER  OF  PREACHINQ,  ll& 

Christians,  and  attracts  the  attention  of  the  care- 
less ;  for  it  is  not  in  man  not  to  be  affected  by  that 
genuine  love  of  souls  that  shines  in  the  eye  and 
speaks  in  the  tones  of  a  faithful  and  beseeching  am- 
bassador of  Christ.  The  Spirit  speaks  through  him 
to  the  hearts  of  men ;  saints  are  established  in  the 
faith,  and  sinners  are  turned  to  righteousness. 

I,  of  course,  by  no  means  assert  that  all  preach- 
ers from  manuscript  are  such  as  I  have  referred  to 
in  the  first  example,  or  that  all  preachers  without 
notes  are  such  as  I  have  described  in  the  second. 
I  know  well  that  some  of  our  most  effective  preach- 
ers have  always  used  written  preparation,  and  that 
some  of  our  least  useful  ministers  preach  extempo- 
raneously. I  speak  not  of  individual  cases,  and 
only  insist  on  the  tendency  of  these  two  modes  of  \J 
preparation.  Let  it  be  granted  that  the  promises 
of  the  gospel  mean  anything,  and  let  it  be  conceded 
that  there  is  any  Holy  Spirit,  and  then  let  any  one 
compare  these  two  methods  of  addressing  our 
fellow-men  on  the  subject  of  their  souls'  salvation, 
and  decide  which  is  more  likely  to  become  a  bless- 
ing to  the  minister  himself,  and  which  is  the  more 
likely  to  bring  a  blessing  to  his  hearers. 

I  know  it  is  frequently  said  that  the  subject  on 
which  a  minister  preaches  is  so  important,  and  it 
is  of  so  much  consequence  that  men  should  know 
the   exact  truth,  that  we  ought  not  to  trust  our- 


120  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL, 

selves  to  speak  from  the  pulpit  without  the  most 
carefully  written  preparation. 

But  let  us  not  be  led  astray  by  words;  let  us 
look  at  realities.  Do  written  sermons  always  con- 
vey sound  theology  (and  by  soimd  theology  I 
mean  the  simple  truth  revealed  to  us  by  our 
Saviour  and  his  apostles)?  Do  men  professing  the 
same  sentiments  as  ourselves  never  read  from  a 
manuscript  statements  of  doctrine  to  which  we  can- 
not assent?  It  is  said  we  need  carefully  written  ^ 
preparations.  But  how  often  do  the  most  of  us 
deliver  from  the  pulpit  carefullywritten  discourses, 
except  it  be  at  ordinations,  or  on  some  other  special 
occasions?  A  really  extemporaneous  discourse 
may  be  written  as  well  as  spoken  without  writing. 
A  large  proportion  of  our  written  discourses  is 
]>reparedin  a  driving  hurry,  late  on  Saturday  night, 
and  sometimes  between  the  services  on  the  Sab- 
bath ;  and  the  thoughts  are  huddled  together  with 
little  arrangement,  and  less  meditation.  Is  not 
such  a  sermon,  though  written^  liable  to  all  the 
objections  commonly  raised  against  extetnpore 
preaching  ?  Nay,  if  the  same  time  had  been  spent  / 
in  earnest  thought,  would  not  the  discourse  have 
been  more  carefully  prepared  than  by  the  simple 
process  of  writing?  Men  seem  to  suppose  that 
what  is  written  must,  of  course,  be  sound  sense. 
I  confess  I   have  not  always  found  it  so ;  and  I 


MANNER  OF  PREACHING.  l21 

have  sometimes  been  tempted  to  ask,  "Would  a 
preacher  be  willing  to  look  his  audience  in  the 
face,  and  utter  such  common-place  truisms  as  he 
delivers  from  a  manuscript,  looking  on  his  paper  ? 
But  it  is  sometimes  said  that  this  power  of 
preaching  extempore  is  a  special  gift.  This  can 
hardly  be  the  case.  Those  denominations  which 
require  extemporaneous  preaching  find  no  difficulty 
in  supplying  their  pul^jits  with  such  preachers  in 
abundance.^  Students  in  college,  in  their  debating 
societies,  acquire  a  considerable  facility  in  extem- 
pore speaking.  Those  of  them  who  study  law 
learn  to  speak  extempore  as  a  part  of  their  pro- 
fession, while  those  who  study  for  the  ministry 
cannot  deliver  a  discourse  of  twenty-five  or  thirty 
minutes  unless  every  word  of  it  is  written  and 
laid  before  them.  Now,  what  can  be  the  reason 
of  this  ?  When  the  Holy  Ghost  calls  men  to  the 
ministry,  does  he,  by  that  act,  deprive  them  of  the 
natural  power  of  addressing  their  fellow-men  most 
effectively  ?  Does  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  de- 
prive men  of  the  power  of  utterance,  and  take 
from  them  the  aptness  to  teach  which  they  pos- 
sessed before  in  common  with  other  men  ?  I  know 
that  there  are  differences  in  the  degree  in  which 

'  I  see  it  mentioned  in  the  papers  that  Kev.  Dr.  Begg  has  given 
notice  that  he  will  move  the  Presbytery  to  adopt  means  to  put  an  end 
among  the  students  to  the  reading  of  sermons  in  the  Free  Church  of 
Scotland.  . 


122  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

the  power  of  public  speaking  is  bestowed,  but  by 
diligent  attention  and  constant  practice  it  may  be 
xicquired  by  any  man  who  possesses  the  gifts  re- 
quired for  a  minister  of  the  gospel.  Nay,  the  men 
who  declare  that  it  cannot  be  acquired  are  them- 
selves the  strongest  proof  that  on  this  subject  they 
are  in  error.  Attend  any  of  our  ecclesiastical 
meetings,  associations,  conventions,  presbyteries, 
annual  meetings  of  missionary  organizations,  and 
the  very  men  who  cannot  preach  without  writing, 
if  a  question  of  interest  arises,  will  speak,  with  the 
greatest  fluency,  for  half  an  hour  or  more,  even 
without  any  preparation.  What  they  so  readily  do 
in  one  case,  why  should  they  not  do  in  the  other? 
But  we  do  not  apply  the  same  rule  to  others 
which  we  assume  for  ourselves.  We  declare  it  is 
impossible  for  us  to  address  men  from  the  pulpit 
on  the  subject  of  rehgion,  without  writing  out  all 
we  have  to  say.  We  leave  the  church,  and  descend 
to  the  lecture-room  to  attend  a  conference  meet- 
ing. We  expect  our  private  members  to  address 
the  audience  on  the  very  same  subjects,  but  we 
never  expect  them  to  use  a  manuscript.  What 
should  we  say,  if,  when  we  called  upon  one  of  our 
brethren  to  speak,  he  should  excuse  himself  on  the 
ground  that  he  had  not  anything  written  ?  What 
sort  of  a  conference  meeting  would  we  have,  if 
nothing  was  spoken  which  had  not  been  written 


MANNER  OF  PREACHING.  123 

out,  and  then  read  after  the  manner  of  the  j^ulpit  ? 
I  fancy  that  the  minister  and  the  readers  would 
very  soon  constitute  the  entire  audience.  Why 
should  we  expect  our  brethren,  engaged  in  the 
ordinary  pursuits  of  life,  to  use  a  manner  of  ad- 
dressing an  audience  which  we  declare  it  impossi- 
ble for  us  to  acquire  after  eight  or  ten  years  of 
study  devoted  to  preparation  for  this  very  duty  ? 

I  object  to  the  custom  of  addressing  an  audience 
from  a  manuscript  for  several  reasons. 

In  the  first  place,  the  tendency  of  habitually 
using  written  preparations  is  to  the  formation  of  a 
written  instead  of  a  spoken  style ;  to  cultivate  a 
habit  of  writing  for  the  press,  instead  of  uttering 
our  thoughts  to  an  audience.  We  thus  form  the 
habit  of  using  abstract  terms,  speaking  of  the  most 
important  truths  in  generalities  which  men  only 
dimly  understand,  and  which  no  one  applies  to 
himself  It  is  not  the  language  of  ordinary  thought 
or  ordinary  conversation ;  and  it  is  as  if  we  ad- 
dressed them  in  a  foreign  tongue,  which  they  only 
imperfectly  understand.  What  the  effect  of  such 
preaching  must  be,  or  rather  how  small  must  be  its 
effect,  may  easily  be  imagined.  The  preacher  can 
rarely  be  deeply  interested  in  it  himself;  and  it 
cannot  be  expected  that  he  will  interest  others. 

Every  one  knows  that  the  power  of  a  speakei 
over  an  audience  depends,  almost  entirely,  on  the 


124  MINISTRY  OF  TEE  GOSPEL. 

tones  of  emotion.  This  was  what  the  ancient 
orator  meant  when  he  said  that  the  first  and  second 
and  third  requisite  essential  to  a  public  speaker 
was  delivery.  But  emotion,  though  it  commence 
in  the  bosom  of  the  speaker,  is  sustained  and  deep- 
ened and  rendered  more  intense  by  the  reciprocal 
action  of  the  speaker  and  the  audience  upon  each 
other.  The  earnestness  of  the  speaker,  shown  in 
the  eyes,  the  gesture,  the  tones  of  the  voice,  arouses 
the  audience  to  symj^athy.  Their  eyes  answer  to 
his  eyes;  their  breathless  attention  shows  that  every 
tone  of  his  voice  tlirills  their  bosoms  with  emotion  ; 
their  whole  expression  reacts  upon  him,  and  a  mu- 
tual sympathy  binds  them  together ;  and  he  feels 
that  his  heart  and  theii*s  are  beating  in  unison.*" 
Indignation,  sarcasm,  pity,  sorrow,  yearning  to  cre- 
ate in  them  the  same  feeling  which  agitates  him, 
expressed  more  powerfully  in  the  tones  of  the  voice 
than  in  the  words  which  he  utters,  sway  the  audi- 
ence at  his  will ;  and  at  the  close  it  seems  as  if  they 
all  had  but  one  soul,  and  that  the  soul  of  him  who 
has  addressed  them.  Such  was  the  preaching  of 
Whitfield.  Garrick,  after  hearing  him,  declared 
that  he  would  give  a  hundred  pounds  to  be  able  to 
utter  the  simple  exclamation  Oh !  as  Whitfield 
uttered  it. 

This  power  of  expressing  emotion  by  the  tones 
of  the  voice,  we  may  remark  in  passing,  cannot  be 


MANNER  OF  PREACHING.  125 

acquired  by  art.  It  must  arise  from  the  earnest, 
honest  feeling  of  the  speaker,  reflected  from  the 
audience  before  him.  A  man  may  rehearse  his 
sermon  alone ;  he  may  determine  how  this  or  that 
passage  should  be  uttered,  or  what  gesture  should 
accompany  the  utterance ;  he  may  do  it  again  and 
again  before  amiiTor;  he  may  blacken  his  manu- 
script with  every  kind  of  sign  that  shall  indicate  the 
expression  to  be  given  to  the  words,  but  it  is  all  a 
failure.  Nature  is  not  so  easily  deceived.  The 
hearers  see  that  it  is  all  very  elaborately  prepared, 
and  very  accurately  delivered;  but  somehow  or 
other  they  are  not  moved,  and  it  all  seems  like  a 
boy  speaking  a  piece. 

*  To  return ;  it  must,  I  think,  be  evident,  that  the 
tendency  of  habitual  reading  is  to  annihilate  the 
true  tones  of  emotion  in  a  speaker.  His  eyes  and 
those  of  the  audience  never  meet.  They  look  up, 
and  all  is  blank ;  for  he  is  looking  steadfastly  on 
something  else.  The  tendency  is  for  him  gradually 
to  subside  into  a  quiet  reader,  delivering  plainly, 
and  without  emotion,  what  he  has  prepared  with 
care  and  attention.  This  is  the  more  common  case. 
If,  however,  he  rises  above  this,  and  is  of  a  more 
earnest  character,  he  acquires  a  regular  tone  of 
apparent  emotion,  a  rise  and  fall  of  the  voice  at 

"  stated  intervals,  in  which  every  sentence  is  ut- 
tered.    The  important  and  the  unimportant  are 


126  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

both  pitched  on  the  same  key,  and  set  to  the  same 
tune.  The  tones  of  real  emotion  have  all  died  out, 
and  nothing  remains  but  sentence  after  sentence, 
whether  narrative,  hortatory,  or  emotional,  begin- 
ning, continuing,  and  ending  with  the  same  pauses, 
inflections,  and  emphasis,  which  no  feeling  of  the 
soul  seems  really  to  pervade.  To  this  kind  of  de- 
livery, I  think,  reading  generally  tends,  especially 
in  young  men  ;  but  it  is  liable  to  decline,  with 
advancing  years,  into  that  which  I  have  just  re- 
ferred to.  / 

I  do  not,  of  course,  deny  that  we  have  frequently 
eloquent  readers.  I  rejoice  to  say  that  I  have  lis- 
tened to  many  myself;  though  it  was  frequently 
the  eloquence  of  high  intellectual  rather  than  of  * 
moral  excitement.  Chalmers  was  a  close  reader, 
and  never  preached  without  producing  great  effect. 
His  soul  was  always  on  fire,  and  he  threw  it  wholly 
into  all  he  either  did  or  said.  It  was  not  in  his 
nature  to  be  prosy.  Yet  a  gentleman  who  was  in 
the  habit  of  hearing  him  has  assured  me  that  his 
extempore  discourses,  delivered  to  operatives  in 
the  outskirts  of  Glasgow,  were  far  more  effective, 
and  more  truly  eloquent,  than  the  sermons  which 
he  delivered  with  so  much  applause  in  the  Tron 
Church  of  that  city. 

But  let  us  look  at  this  subject  from  another 
point  of  view.     Where,  but  in  the  pulpit,  would 


MANNER  OF  PREACHING.  127 

written  addresses  to  a  jDopular  assembly  be  toler- 
ated? Were  a  lawyer  to  read  to  a  jury  a  finely 
written  dissertation,  bearing  as  much  on  the  case 
before  them  as  many  of  our  sermons  do  on  the 
salvation  of  the  soul,  would  he  not  soon  i:)ut  the 
whole  panel  to  sleep  ?  Were  the  same  mode  of 
address  adopted  by  senators  and  representatives, 
would  not  the  member  find  himself  surrounded 
by  nothing  but  empty  benches?  And,  finally, 
were  this  mode  adopted  in  general,  would  not  the 
days  of  Erskine,  Brougham,  Chatham,  and  Fox, 
and  of  Hamilton,  Patrick  Henry,  Webster,  Clay, 
and  Preston  have  passed  away  forever? 

What  then  can  be  the  reason  why  this  mode  of 
address  has  become  so  prevalent  throughout  a 
large  part  of  our  country  ?  Among  the  causes  may, 
perhaps,  be  the  following  :  — 

1.  A  natural  fear  of  failure,  or,  as  it  is  called, 
"  breaking  down,"  when  a  young  man  is  called  to 
address  a  large  assembly ;  especially  when  he  has 
never  been  taught  to  cultivate  the  art  of  j)ublic 
speaking. 

2.  The  ambition  to  be  known  as  a  good  writer. 
Those  who  have  spent  eight  or  ten  years  in  prep- 
aration, naturally  suppose  that  the  efiect  of  this 
cultivation  will  be  expected.  They  do  not  remem- 
ber that  the  effect  of  cultivation  may  be  manifested 
with  far  greater  power  by  extempore  than  by  writ- 


128  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

ten  address.  The  candidate  begins  to  preach  from 
notes,  and  the  habit  once  formed  is  fixed  for  life. 
He  thinks  he  cannot  do  otherwise,  and  so  long  as 
he  thinks  so  the  thing  is  impossible. 

3.  Nor  is  this  all.  If  a  man  has  attained  any 
estimation  as  a  fine  writer,  he  is  liable  to  be  afraid 
of  his  own  reputation,  and  he  dares  not  risk  it  by 
extempore  address.  Besides,  what  has  once  been 
carefully  written  may  be  used  again,  whenever  the 
occasion  demands  it,  without  the  labor  of  a  new 
preparation.  In  a  few  years  a  man  may  acquire  a 
large  stock  of  preaching  material,  which  may  be 
repeated  from  the  same  pulpit,  or  be  of  still  greater 
benefit  if  he  should  change  his  i^lace  of  settlement. 
This  feeling  is  not  peculiar  to  a  minister.  Every 
one  is  looking  forward  to  a  life  of  greater  ease, 
and  is  willing  to  lessen  his  burden  in  the  future, 
of  what  sort  soever  it  may  be. 

But,  it  will  probably  be  asked,  would  you  advise 
a  young  man  who  has  had  no  practice  in  public 
speaking  to  address  a  large  congregation  without 
any  written  preparation  ?  I  reply,  I  would  not  ad- 
vise a  young  man,  who  has  had  little  or  no  prac- 
tice in  preaching,  to  address  such  a  congregation  at 
all.  A  few  men  have  a  natural  gift  for  public  speak- 
ing, ^nd  come  forth  at  once  in  possession  of  the  most 
important  elements  required  for  such  a  service.  The 
most  gifted,  however,  will,  I  think,  be  found  to  be 


MANNER  OF  PREACHING.  129 

the  men  who  have  cultivated  their  oratorical  power 
most  earnestly.  But  take  men  with  the  average 
rate  of  ability  for  this  service,  and  careful  attention 
and  abundant  practice  are  necessary  to  success  in 
this  mode  of  labor.  With  these,  facility  in  the  art 
may  be  acquired  by  any  one  who  has  what  the 
apostle  demands  in  a  candidate,  "  aptness  to  teach." 
Let  such  a  man  determine  that  he  will  acquire 
facility  in  public  address,  and  let  him  resolutely 
apply  himself  to  the  means  needful  to  secure  suc- 
cess, and  he  will  undoubtedly  succeed.  If,  how- 
ever, he  only  adopts  this  method  occasionally,  and 
when  he  has  not  been  able  to  write,  and  must  say 
something,  and  commence  with  the  remark  that 
he  is  only  going  to  talk  to  the  people,  he  will,  of 
course,  fail ;  and  very  likely  conclude  that  the  gift 
of  speaking,  without  writing,  was  never  conferred 
upon  him. 

But  suppose  a  young  man  has  paid  attention  to 
public  speaking,  I  would  by  no  means  advise  him 
to  seek  for  a  first  settlement  in  a  large  congrega- 
tion, or  in  a  populous  city,  but  rather  to  avoid  them. 
Let  him  choose  a  less  prominent  place,  where,  ex- 
posed to  fewer  temptations,  he  may  labor  in  the 
Master's  service,  and  confirm  those  habits  of  heart 
and  mind,  and  acquire  that  skill  in  the  performance 
of  the  duties  of  the  ministry,  which  may  prepare 
him  for  more  extended  usefulness.  It  is  unwise  to 
9 


•x/ 


130  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

place  a  young  and  wholly  inexperienced  minister 
in  a  situation  sufficiently  arduous  to  task  the  skill 
and  energy  and  talent  of  a  man  in  the  full  matu- 
rity of  his  strength.  A  young  man  placed  in  such 
a  situation,  if  he  be  conscientious  and  feels  the 
responsibility  placed  uj^on  him,  will  j)i'obably  labor 
beyond  his  strength,  and  come  to  a  premature 
grave.  If  he  treat  his  responsibility  lightly,  he 
will  perform  the  work  of  an  ambassador  profession- 
ally, and,  ere  long,  come  to  an  ignominious  failure. 
Let  not  a  young  man  suppose  that,  by  taking 
charge  of  a  small  church,  his  talent  will  be  buried 
and  his  sphere  of  usefulness  limited.  If  he  does 
his  duty,  that  church  will  not  continue  small.  Men 
of  tried  piety,  good  sense,  and  ministerial  qualifi- 
cations, are  ever  in  demand  ;  and  he  will  soon  have 
the  opportunity  of  selecting  his  situation.  It  is, 
however,  far  from  certain  that  his  selection,  if  he 
act  wisely,  will  be  any  other  place  than  that  in 
which  the  great  Shepherd  has  first  fixed  his  lot. 
A  settlement  in  a  city  is  by  no  means  to  be  cov- 
eted. It  was  well  said  by  the  prophet :  "  Seekest 
thou  great  things  for  thyself?  seek  them  not."  A 
great  city  is  the  chosen  place  for  the  throne  of  the 
prince  of  this  world,  where  he  reigns  with  almost 
uncontrolled  dominion.  There  the  lust  of  the 
flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eyes,  and  the  pride  of  life,  find 
everything  to  stimulate  their  growth  and  provide 


MANNER  OF  PREACHING.  131 

for  their  gratification.  Some  men  must  occupy 
such  pLaces ;  but  they  are  to  be  accepted,  if  ac- 
cepted at  all,  as  a  duty  which  cannot  be  escaped, 
rather  than  a  distinction  that  is  to  be  coveted.  If 
it  be  said  that  Timothy  was  a  minister  of  the 
church  at  Ephesus  while  a  young  man,  let  it  be^' 
remembered  that  the  epistles  to  him  at  Ephesus 
were  written  at  the  close  of  the  apostle's  life,  when 
Timothy  could  have  been  no  longer  young ;  and, 
also,  that  he  served  for  many  years  as  an  assistant 
to  the  apostle,  before  he  was  intrusted  with  the 
care  of  an  important  church. 

I  cannot  conclude  these  remarks  without  making 
a  suggestion  to  those  who  have  the  management 
of  our  theological  seminaries.  I  make  them  in  no 
spirit  of  unkindness.  If  I  know  my  own  heart,  I 
have  no  other  motive  than  a  desire  to  promote  the 
progress  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom. 

I  believe  that  the  conviction  is  rapidly  increasing 
among  thoughtful  men  that  the  influence  of  the 
pulpit  is  decreasing.  By  this  I  do  not  mean  that 
ministers  are  not  treated  well,  so  far  as  this  world 
is  concerned,  but  that  their  preaching  is  producing 
less  and  less  influence  over  the  public  mind,  and 
that  the  message  of  salvation  is  heard  with  less 
and  less  concern.  To  this  fact  some  of  our  most 
judicious  ministers  have  borne  testimony.  Since  I 
commenced  writing  these  pages,  I  happened  to 


132  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

fiill  into  conversation  on  this  subject  with  a  friend 
who  has  arrived  at  high  distinction  as  a  lawyer  and 
a  legislator.  I  inquired  of  him,  what  was  the 
opinion  of  gentlemen  of  his  profession  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  Christian  religion,,wheu  they  conversed 
freely  with  each  other  in  their  professional  meet- 
ings. He  replied  :  "  They  think  religion  a  very 
useful  thing  for  promoting  the  good  order  of  soci- 
ety and  reducing  the  number  of  policemen,  and 
they  are  willing  to  contribute  to  its  support ;  but 
that  is  all.  As  to  its  necessity  for  the  salvation  of 
the  soul, —  or,  in  fact,  as  to  its  importance  for  any- 
thing else  than  the  present  life,^— they  have  no  be- 
lief at  all."  This  was,  I  know,  a  candid  testimony  ; 
and  such  is  coming  to  be  the  opinion  of  a  large 
class  of  our  most  respectable  citizens.  Our  ar- 
rangements for  the  worship  of  God  are  becoming 
so  expensive  that  the  greater  portion  of  the  mid- 
dling classes,  and  nearly  all  the  poor,  are  excluded 
from  our  sanctuaries.  Under  such  circumstances, 
must  not  the  spiritual  power  of  the  Christian  re- 
ligion be  on  the  decrease  among  us  ?  This  condi- 
tion of  things  is  not  limited  to  our  country.  The 
complaint  of  the  inefficiency  of  the  ministry  is  loud 
in  Great  Britain.^ 


*  A  writer  in  Blackwood's  Magazine  for  August  boldly  declares 
that  sermons  have  become  a  hindrance  to  devotion,  and  demands 
that  they  be  dispensed   with  altogether,  and  the   service  on   the 


MANNER  OF  PREACHING.  133 

And  while  this  is  the  case,  we  are  living  at  this- 
time  under  the  full  influence  of  an  educated  minis- 
try. Every  denomination  has  its  seminaries  in 
abundance,  supported  at  great  expense.  It  has 
been  estimated  that  when  the  cost  of  buildinos, 
libraries,  salaries,  and  gratuities  of  every  kind  are 
included,  the  theological  education  of  a  young 
man  costs  his  denomination  from  five  hundred  to 
one  thousand  dollars.  The  professors  are  learned, 
able,  and  pious  men.  How  is  it,  then,  that,  with 
all  these  means  of  cultivating  our  ministry,  its 
power  over  the  people  is  decreasing  ?  Must  there 
not  be  something  requiring  change  in  our  manner 
of  theological  education  ? 

In  the  first  place,  I  would  observe,  that  our  sys- 
tem of  theological  education  is  unlike  that  of  any 
other  intended  to  prepare  men  for  the  active  du- 
ties of  life.  In  a  law  school,  every  opportunity  is 
given  by  practice  in  moot  courts,  for  acquiring 
facility  in  the  management  of  cases ;  and,  besides 
this,  every  young  lawyer  enters  an  office^  and  is 
employed  in  making  out  legal  papers,  attending 
courts,  looking  up  decisions,  and  doing  everything 
that  the  law  will  allow,  for  the  purpose  of  acquiring 

Sabbath  confined  to  reading  the  Scriptures  and  the  prayers.  See, 
also,  in  the  Atlantic  Monthly  for  March,  1860,  the  article  entitled  "  la 
the  religious  want  of  the  age  met?"  and  the  article  on  "Church, 
going ''  in  the  New  Englander  for  July,  1862. 


134  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

\j  practical  skill  in  his  profession.  The  medical  stu- 
dent, for  a  few  months  in  the  year,  attends  lectures ; 
but  he  at  the  same  time  visits  the  hospitals  to  ob- 
serve the  modes  of  treatment,  and  spends  the 
remainder  of  the  year  in  the  office  of  a  regular 
physician,  observing  his  practice,  visiting  patients 
with  hira,  and,  whenever  it  can  be  done,  taking 
charge  of  patients  himself,  that  he  may  become 
acquainted  with  the  every-day  duties  of  his' calling. 
In  Normal  schools,  the  jDupil  attends  lectures  on 
the  subjects  of  instruction ;  but  he  is  called  upon 
daily  to  put  these  lectures  into  practice,  and  he  is 
required  to  teach  continually,  and  thus  become 
prepared  to  teach  for  himself  On  the  contrary, 
our  theolosjical  students  are  collected  too^ether  in 
large  dormitories,  where  they  associate  with  no 
others  than  themselves,  and,  for  three  years,  read 
books  and  attend  lectures  and  recitations,  being, 
in  many  cases,  even   discouraged  from  preaching, 

I  unless  at  the  close  of  their  course.  Their  views 
of  the  ministry  are  formed  not  from  the  observa- 
tion and  experience  of  actual  life,  but  from  the 
conversations  of  young  men  with  each  other. 
They  of  necessity  enter  the  ministry  with  no  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  its  duties;  and  that  they  should 
be  ignorant  of  the  best  methods  of  presenting  the 
truth  to  living  men,  is  only  a  thing  to  be  expected. 
Were  men  in  other  departments  of  life  to  pursue 


MANNER  OF  PREACHING.  135 

a  similar  course,  must  it  not  lead  to  inevitable 
failure? 

In  the  next  place,  the  business  of  a  .minister  is 
to  address  men  in  public  on  the  most  momentous 
of  all  subjects.  Is  it  not  desirable,  then,  that  he 
should  learn  to  address  assemblies  with  the  great- 
est possible  effect?  Ought  he  not  to  be  a  public 
speaker  rather  than  a  public  reader?  I  do  not,  of 
course,  mean  to  advise  that  men  should  be  taught 
to  speak  when  they  liave  nothing  to  say.  When 
I  use  the  w^ord  extempore^  I  do  not  suppose  that  a 
man  is  to  address  an  audience  of  intelligent  people 
without  any  preparation ;  or,  as  some  of  our  older 
ministers  used  to  boast,  that  they  did  not  know 
what  text  they  would  take  until  they  entered  the 
pulpit.  I  would  have  young  men  taught  not 
merely  the  force  of  the  Greek  article,  the  meaning 
of  the  aorist,  and  the  difference  between  the  par- 
ticles: I  would  have  them  familiar  with  the  very 
ideas  and  spirit  of  the  word  of  God,  thoroughly 
imbued  with  the  great  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  as 
they  are  revealed  by  Christ  and  his  apostles,  and 
not  ns  they  are  announced  in  systems  of  theology. 
I  would  have  them  taught,  by  habitual  practice, 
how  to  frame  a  sermon,  or  how  to  think  out  a  train 
of  tliought.  I  would  have  tliem  taught  to  deliver 
this  without  writing,  in  addresses  in  the  conference 
room,  and  in  small  auditories,  under  the  eye  of  an 


e/ 


136  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

instructor,  who  should,  in  private,  remark  their 
defects  in  matter  and  in  manner,  and  thus  learn 
not  only  to  address  men  in  public,  but  to  do  it  well. 
If  this  method  were  adopted,  can  there  be  any 
reason  why  our  young  evangelists  should  not  come 
from  the  schools  able  to  instruct  and  persuade  oth- 
ers with  the  same  2)ower  that  men  possess  who 
address  them  on  other  subjects?  In  other  words, 
I  would  entreat  the  officers  and  guardians  of  our 
seminaries  to  give  up  the  ambition  of  becoming 
literary  centres,  and  schools  of  philological  and 
other  learning,  and  confine  themselves  to  the  sim- 
ple object  of  making  men  able  and  useful  ministers 
of  the  New  Testament. 

But,  after  all,  what  are  we  discussing  but  means 
and  modes  of  operation  ?  I  confess  that  these  all 
might  be  put  into  practice,  while  we  should  become 
but  little  the  better.  I  believe,  however,  that  the 
changes  which  I  suggest  are  of  importance  mainly 
as  they  tend  to  cultivate  a  deeper  tone  of  piety, 
and  greater  earnestness  in  the  work  in  which  we  are 
engaged.  This  is  what  we  need  above  everything 
else,  no  matter  in  what  way  it  can  be  attained. 
We  need  more  prayer,  more  reading  of  the  Scrip- 
tures for  our  own  spiritual  improvement,  as^vell  as 
for  public  preparation ;  we  need  a  more  exclusive 
and  entire  consecration  to  our  work ;  we  need  a 
victory  over  the  world  which  shall  trample  under 


MANNER  OF  PREACHING.  '  137 

foot  its  applause,  its  wealth,  its  honors  and  distinc- 
tions, and  be  willing  to  become  great  by  becoming 
little  in  the  sight  of  men.  The  first  thing  for  a 
minister  of  the  gospel  to  attain  is  conquest  over 
himself;  to  be  perfectly  willing  for  men  to  say  of 
him  what  they  please;  to  bear  the  contradiction 
of  saints  and  of  sinners,  if  only  he  can,  by  preach- 
ing the  simple  truths  of  the  gospel,  be  the  means 
of  converting  men  to  Christ,  and  saving  souls  from 
eternal  despair.  When  he  has  broken  these  fetters, 
and  thus  becomes  a  freeman  in  Christ  Jesus,  he 
can  enter  upon  his  work  with  a  power  of  faith, 
with  might  in  the  inner  man,  which  those  who 
consent  to  bow  down  to  the  world,  and  do  merely 
what  those  around  them  are  doing,  can  neither 
attain  to  nor  understand. 

I  am,  yours,  truly. 


LETTER   VII. 


PASTORAL  VISITATION. 


My  Dear  Brother; 

T  HAVE  already  considered  the  duty  of  a  minis- 
-*-  ter  as  a  preacher  of  the  gospel.  The  Apostle 
Paul,  during  his  ministry  at  Ephesus,  labored,  as 
he  tells  us,  not  only  publicly,  but  "from  house  to 
house,  testifying  repentance  toward  God  and  faith 
in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  In  this  letter  I  propose 
to  treat  of  pastoral  visitation. 

I  fear  that  the  discharge  of  this  part  of  ministerial 
duty  is  growing  into  some  disuse  among  us.  The 
opinion  is  becoming  more  and  more  prevalent, 
that  it  is  not  a  part  of  our  professiojial  duty,  or 
one  which  we  are  under  obligation  to  perform.  I 
have  known  a  minister  encourage  a  younger 
brother  by  informing  him  that  he  himself  never 
visited  his  people,  and  that  his  people  did  not  now 
expect  it;  lie  did  not,  however,  add,  what  1  believe 
was  the  fact,  that  his  ministry  had  been  vesy  un- 
fruitful. I  have  heard  of  meetings  of  ministers 
where  this  subject  was  discussed,  and,  by  common 


PASTORAL   VISITATION.  139 

consent,  it  was  considered  a  drudgery  —  a  thing 
which  must  be  done  to  some  extent,  but  which 
they  did  as  little  as  possible. 

There  are,  however,  ministers  who  look  upon 
this  subject  differently.  They  give  themselves 
earnestly  to  the  work  of  pastoral  visitation,  an.d 
the  result  has  not  been  hidden.  I  could  mention 
brethren,  whose  names  are  rarely  heralded  in  pub- 
lic places,  who  make  no  demonstrations  at  public 
meetings,  to  whose  churches  the  Lord  adds  every 
month  of  those  who  shall  be  saved,  while  the 
churches  around  them,  from  year  to  year,  hardly 
maintain  their  original  number.  When  it  is  asked, 
How  is  it  that  this  brother  is  so  successful  in  the 
conversion  of  souls,  and  in  building  up  Christians 
in  the  faith  of  the  gospel?  the  answer  is  somewliat 
in  this  wise  :  He  is  not  a  great  preacher,  he  is  not 
an  elegant  writer,  he  dazzles  his  people  with  no 
remarkable  intellectual  efforts;  but  he  is  a  truly 
devout  and  humble  man  ;  he  gives  himself  wholly 
to  his  work,  he  preaches  the  gospel  in  honest, 
affectionate  simplicity,  and  he  spends  a  large  part 
of  his  time  in  visiting  his  iMople. 

If  we  attend  ordinations,  it  is  not  uncommon  to 
hear  this  subject  alluded  to,  both  in  the  charge  to 
the  minister  and  in  that  to  the  people.  Tlie  can- 
didate is  faithfully  warned  not  to  be  broken  off 
from  his  studies  for  the  sake  of  going  from  house 


140  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

to  house,  and  the  people  are  told  that  they  must 
not  expect  it  of  him.  If  he  does  not  visit  them, 
they  must  take  it  for  granted  that  he  is  on  his 
knees,  studying  the  word  of  God,  and  holding 
communion  with  his  Saviour  on  their  behalf.  He 
is  so  much  engaged  in  this  holy  work  that  they 
must  not  disturb  him  even  by  calling  upon  him. 
I  have  heard  it  triumphantly  asked,  How  can  they 
expect  their  minister  to  compose  sermons  like 
Massillon's,  if  he  do  not  consume  his  whole  time 
in  solitary  study  ?  All  this  is  as  solemnly  said,  by 
grave  and  reverend  divines,  as  if  there  were  really 
any  danger  that  the  candidate  would  ever  preach 
like  Massillon,  and  as  if  the  people  would  not 
know  whether  their  minister  had  time  enough  for 
general  reading  and  social  visiting,  though  he  had 
none  to  employ  in  testifying  from  house  to  house 
repentance  towards  God  and  faith  in  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

Here,  then,  is  certainly  an  anomalous  case.  Here 
is  a  man  who  has  been  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
to  assume  the  work  of  converting  sinners  and  cul- 
tivating the  piety  of  saints.  But  this,  the  most 
effective  part  of  his  work,  he  declines  to  perform, 
and  considers  unworthy  of  his  professional  posi- 
tion. Perishing  souls  need  to  be  instructed  in  the 
way  of  salvation  in  private,  and  many  of  them 
actually  desire  it ;  and  yet  he  refuses  to  perform 


PASTORAL  VISITATION.  141 

this  most  important  part  of  his  duty.  Must  not 
this  arise  from  a  very  imperfect  conception  of  his 
office  as  an  ambassador  of  Christ  ? 

Of  the  practical  importance  of  this  form  of  min- 
isterial labor,  I  need  not  form  an  argument.  Let 
every  one  ascertain  the  truth  from  his  own  obser- 
vation and  experience.  So  far  as  I  have  known 
the  events  that  have  led  to  conversion,  I  have 
observed,  specially  of  late,  that  a  much  larger 
number  has  been  led  to  reflection  by  private  con- 
versation than  by  public  ministrations.  I  hope  it 
will  not  be  considered  inappropriate  if  I  refer  to 
my  own  experience  on  this  subject.  I  have  always 
been  accustomed  to  attend  the  ministry  of  the 
gospel,  and,  in  my  early  youth,  the  preaching, 
though  excellent,  was,  as'  I  remember,  above  my 
comprehension.  My  parents,  now  with  God,  never 
attended  church  in  the  evening,  but  assembled 
their  children  around  them  to  read  the  Scriptures, 
repeat  hymns,  and  hold  conversation  on  the  sub- 
ject of  personal  religion.  I  know  perfectly  well 
that  these  services  at  home  made  a  much  deeper 
impression  on  my  mind  than  the  public  services  of 
the  sanctuary. 

When  I  was  a  student  in  college,  I  continued  to 
be  a  regular  attendant  on  the  ministry.  At  this 
moment  I  cannot  recall  a  single  sermon  that  I 
heard  during  this  period.    I  well  remember,  how- 


142  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

ever,  that  a  class-mate,^  a  pious  and  consistent 
Christian,  once  called  me  into  his  room,  and  faith- 
fully and  affectionately  conversed  with  me  on 
the  subject  of  my  soul's  salvation.  To  this  day  I 
can  never  think  of  this  act  of  Christian  love  with- 
out thankfulness  to  God  and  to  his  servant  who 
thus  warned  me  of  my  danger.  I  have  never  seen 
him  since  we  parted  on  commencement-day,  but  I 
remember  him  with  a  warmth  of  gratitude  which 
I  feel  for  no  other  of  my  college  friends. 

After  leaving  college,  I  entered  upon  the  study 
of  medicine.  I  was  sitting  alone  one  day,  in  the 
office  of  the  physician  with  whom  I  studied,  when 
a  plain  man,  evidently  from  the  country,  entered, 
to  procure  some  medical  advice.  After  we  had 
sat  some  time  in  silence  or  in  conversation  upon 
indifferent  subjecj-s,  without  any  introduction,  he 
turned  to  me  and  asked,  "  What  is  the  difference 
between  hope  and  expectation  ?  "  I  was  taken  by 
surj^rise,  and  gave  him  such  an  answer  as  occurred 
to  me, —  I  presume  a  very  imperfect  one.  He  then 
answered  the  question  himself.  "We  may  hoj^e 
for  a  thing,"  said  he,  "when  we  have  no  definite 
ground  on  which  our  hope  rests,  and  wliile  we  are 
making  no  effort  to  secure  it ;  as  we  hope  for  f  lir 
weather,  or  for  rain.     When  we  exjoect  a  thing,  we 

A  The  Kev.  William  E.  Bogardus,  a  minister  of  the  Dutch  Ke- 
formed  Church;  now,  I  believe,  in  the  State  of  New  Jersey. 


PASTORAL  VISITATION.  143 

at  least  believe  that  we  have  some  solid  ground 
on  which  our  expectation  rests,  and  we  of  course 
make  every  effort  necessary  to  secure  it."  He 
then  added,  "I  suppose  every  man  hopes  to  be 
saved  at  last,  whatever  may  be  his  life,  or  how 
much  he  may  neglect  the  great  salvation.  A  man, 
however,  never  expects  to  enter  heaven  unless  he 
has  some  solid  reason  on  which  his  expectation 
rests,  and  he  endeavors  to  live  in  such  a  manner 
that  his  expectation  may  be  realized."  He  then 
made  a  brief  application  of  the  subject  to  me  per- 
sonally, and  shortly  afterwards  left  the  office.  The 
interview  lasted  perhaps  half  an  hour.  I  have 
never  seen  that  man  since.  I  never  knew  even 
his  name,  but  I  never  think  of  him  without  grati- 
tude and  love.  If  ever  I  shall  be  so  happy  as  to 
enter  the  gates  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  I  know 
that  I  shall  meet  him  there,  and  shall  thank  him 
in  better  language  than  I  can  now  command,  for 
his  Christian  cai'e  for  the  soul  of  a  thoughtless 
stranger.  I  was  then,  as  I  have  always  been,  in 
the  habit  of  attending  the  preaching  of  the  gospel ; 
but  I  can  remember  no  sermon  that  ever  left  on 
my  mind  so  deep  an  impression  as  this  half  hour's 
conversation.  I  presume  that  many  persons  who 
may  read  these  lines  may  have  had  similar  expe- 
i-ieuces.  I  say  many ;  I  wish  I  could  say  all.  It 
has  been  too  often  my  unfortunate  experience  in 


144  MINISTRY  OF  TEE  GOSPEL. 

addressing  individuals  on  the  subject  of  personal 
religion,  to  be  assured  that  I  was  the  first  person 
who  had  ever  called  their  attention  to  the  impor- 
tance of  seeking  the  salvation  of  their  souls, 
though  many  of  them  had  spent  their  lives  in  the 
midst  of  the  professed  disciples  of  Christ. 

It  is,  however,  proper  that  I  should  explain 
what  I  mean  by  pastoral  visitation.  I  do  not 
mean  the  calling,  at  stated  times,  on  the  members 
of  a  congregation,  after  the  manner  of  what  is 
called  good  society,  to  discuss  the  temperature  of 
the  weather,  to  ascertain  the  number  of  children, 
to  allude  to  the  passing  topics  of  the  day,  and 
make  one's  self  generally  agreeable.  This,  indeed,  is 
not  without  its  benefits.  It  establishes  an  acquaint- 
ance between  a  pastor  and  his  people,  where 
otherwise  they  might  be  almost  strangers  to  each 
other.  Such  an  acquaintance  has  considerable 
influence,  as  it  is  said,  in  keeping  a  society  to- 
gether. It  has  some  eflect  in  inducing  attend- 
ance on  the  worship  of  the  Sabbath,  and  gives 
additional  interest  to  what  a  minister  may  say  in 
the  pulpit.  It  has,  however,  its  disadvantages.  It 
leads  to  too  many  invitations  to  dinner  and  to 
evening  company,  which,  from  the  relations  of  the 
parties,  it  may  be  difficult  to  refuse.  Such  engage- 
ments may  often  occur  on  the  very  evening  of  a 
religious  meeting,  and  a  minister  may  be  tempted 


PASTORAL  VISITATION.  145 

to  hurry  over  his  service,  or,  at  any  rate,  is  liable 
to  pass  from  the  solemn  worship  of  God  to  a  scene 
of  engrossing  worldliness.  People  are  of  course 
led  to  inquire,  If  the  minister  is  in  earnest  in  the 
first  part  of  the  evening,  what  pleasure  can  he 
take  in  the  second,  or  how  can  he  urge  upon  his 
hearers  victory  over  the  world,  and  then  unite  at 
once  in  all  the  levity  and  frivolity  of  a  fashionable 
party  ? 

The  visiting  to  which  I  refer  is  a  very  different 
thing.  In  urging  the  duty  of  pastoral  visitation, 
I  would  suggest  that  a  minister  should  devote  a 
large  portion  of  his  time  to  the  duty  of  private 
conversation,  with  every  member  of  his  congrega- 
tion, on  the  subject  of  personal  religion.  In  visit- 
ing a  family  for  this  i3urpose,  I  suppose  he  should 
endeavor  to  converse  with  every  individual  sepa- 
rately; or,  if  this  be  not  possible,  that  he  should  set 
before  them  all  the  duty  of  repentance  and  faith 
in  Christ,  and,  if  there  be  no  special  obstacle, 
that  he  should  close  the  interview  with  prayer. 
Of  course  there  should  be  in  this  nothing  stiff, 
formal,  severe,  or  forbidding.  The  minister  is 
doing  nothing  but  what  his  relation  to  his  hearers 
absolutely  requires.  They  have  chosen  him  to  take 
the  care  of  their  souls,  and  use  every  means  in  his 
power  to  save  them  from  eternal  death.  They 
believe  in  the  truths  which  he  preaches,  or  they 
10 


146  MINIS TR  Y  OF  TEE  G  OSPEL. 

would  not  have  chosen  him  to  be  then*  minister. 
If  his  labors  on  the  Sabbath  have  been  ineffectual, 
it  is  certainly  reasonable  that  he  should  see  them 
in  private,  and  press  upon  them  individually  the 
truths  which  they  have  thus  far  neglected. 

Not  only  the  impenitent,  but  the  .believer  in 
Christ  frequently  needs  such  personal  conversation. 
How  many  a  child  of  God,  forgotten  by  the  worldi, 
bereaved  by  death  of  all  she  held  dearest  on  earth, 
is  pining  away  in  sorrow,  depressed  and  almost 
broken-hearted,  with  scarcely  a  friend  from  whom 
she  can  expect  Christian  consolation.  How  cheer- 
ful to  such  a  one  is  the  visit  of  the  minister  of 
Christ,  who  will  sympathize  in  her  afflictions,  and 
point  her  to  the  only  source  of  true  consolation ; 
who  will  speak  to  her  of  the  Redeemer  who  bore 
the  heavy  burden  of  her  sins,  of  the  rest  that  re- 
maineth  for  the  people  of  God,  and  of  the  j^eace- 
able  fruits  of  righteousness  which  affliction  bears, 
on  soil  that  has  been  watered  by  the  deeds  of  fliith 
and  submission  and  love !  Or  there  may  be  Chris- 
tians who  are  under  peculiar  temptations  to  world- 
liness,  to  avarice,  sensuality,  or  ambition,  who  are 
in  great  danger  of  losing  the  vitality  of  religion. 
How  seasonable,  at  such  a  time,  is  a  visit  from  a 
minister  of  Christ,  who  comes  to  warn  them  of 
their  danger,  to  strengthen  their  faith,  to  quicken 
their  holy  resolution,  and  unite  with  them  in  prayer 


PASTORAL  VISITATION.  147 

to  Him  that  is  able  to  save,  even  to  the  uttermost! 
Young  Christians  frequently  stand  in  great  need 
of  personal  conversation.  They  desire  to  do  their 
duty,  but  are  often  in  doubt  as  to  the  meaning  or 
the  extent  of  our  Lord's  commands.  They^are 
imperfectly  acquainted  with  the  true  evidences  of 
discipleship ;  and  their  comfort  and  growSi  in  grace 
can  only  be  promoted  by  more  accurate  knowledge 
on  this  subject.  Difficulties  beset  them  which  they, 
never  anticipated,  and  they  need  to  be  taught  how 
these  difficulties  may  be  overcome.  What  person 
can  so  appropriately  aid  a  young  Christian,  in  all 
his  moral  exigencies,  as  the  minister  of  Christ, 
who,  in  the  hands  of  God,  was  the  means  of  his 
conversion  ? 

When  I  speak  of  visiting  a  family^  let  it  not  be 
supposed  that  this  is  the  only  way  in  which  per- 
sonal conversation  on  the  subject  of  religion  can 
be  carried  on.  Men  who,  during  the  day,  are 
rarely  at  home,  can  be  frequently  found  at  leisure 
in  their  places  of  business.  In  the  counting-room, 
the  office,  or  the  shop,  we  may  frequently,  without 
difficulty,  call  them  aside  for  a  few  minutes  to  urge 
them  to  attend  to  the  great  salvation.  We  need 
not  detain  tliem  long ;  to  do  so  might  seem  imper- 
tinent and  intrusive,  imputations  which  we  should 
by  all  means  avoid.  A  few  earnest  and  loving 
words,  evidently  proceeding  from  the  heart,  have 


148  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL, 

thus  frequently  entered  the  soul  of  one  who  has 
heard  the  gospel  for  a  lifetime  unmoved.  Or  we 
may  overtake  men  in  the  street,  and,  while  walking 
with  them  for  a  few  minutes,  with  kindness  and 
solemnity  deliver  to  them  the  message  of  the 
loving  Saviour.  Or  in  company  we  may  frequently 
find  an  opportunity  to  hold  conversation  with  a 
thoughtless  youth,  that,  by  the  blessing  of  God, 
may  end  in  his  conversion.  Let  a  minister  be 
really  in  earnest  in  his  work,  determined  to  allow 
no  opportunity  to  pass  unimproved,  and  he  will  be 
surprised  to  find  how  often  occasions  present  them- 
selves when  he  can,  without  intrusiveness,  converse 
with  men  on  the  subject  of  the  great  salvation. 

We  need  not  fear  that  men  will  not  allow  us 
thus  to  treat  them,  but  will  rudely  repulse  the 
minister  who  is  thus  seeking  their  good.  It  is 
hardly  in  man  to  treat  unkindly  any  one,  especially 
his  own  chosen  minister,  who,  with  disinterested 
love,  is  urging  him  to  prepare  for  death  and  eter- 
nity. On  this  subject,  I  may,  perhaps,  be  permit- 
ted to  speak  from  a  limited  experience.  I  have 
been  in  the  habit  of  private  conversation  ^yith 
individuals  on  the  subject  of  religion  ever  since  I 
became  a  minister  of  Christ.  I  have  conversed 
with  the  thoughtless,  the  frivolous,  with  men  of 
wealth,  with  the  ambitious,  and  the  profiine,  but  T 
do  not  recall  the  instance  in  which  their  subsequent 


PASTORAL   VISITATION.  149 

conduct  ever  discovered  that  they  esteemed  me 
the  less  for  all  that  I  had  said.  I  may,  moreover, 
add,  that  I  do  not  believe  that  I  have  any  particu- 
lar facility  for  this  kind  of  service,  and  there  is  no 
duty  upon  the  discharge  of  which  I  enter  with 
so  i^ainful  a  conviction  of  my  own  insufficiency. 
"What  I  have  done,  I  am  sure  any  one  of  my 
brethren  may  do  also. 

The  advantages  j^ertaining  to  the  kind  of  visit- 
ing which  I  here  recommend,  are,  in  my  opinion, 
manifest.  To  take  the  lowest  view  of  the  case,  it 
is  the  most  effectual  means  for  keeping  a  society 
united.  I  have  said  that  there  are  advantages  to 
be  derived  from  simple  official  visiting,  by  which 
the  minister  cultivates  the  social  acquaintance  of 
his  people.  It  is  evident  that  the  more  this  ac- 
quaintance is  cultivated,  the  more  unwilling  will  a 
people  be  to  leave  their  minister  for  another.  But 
if  this  cffi?ct  is  produced  by  merely  personal  ac- 
quaintance, how  much  stronger  must  be  the  bond 
which  unites  a  people  to  him  whose  whole  conduct 
exhibits  a  disinterested  love  for  their  souls,  and 
whose  habit  it  is,  whenever  an  opportunity  offers, 
to  turn  their  thoughts  from  the  things  which  they 
know  to  be  vanity,  to  things  which  make  for  their 
everlasting  peace.  This  is  the  minister  whom  they 
desire  to  see  in  the  hour  of  sickness,  and  when  on 
the  bed  of  death.     When  he  visits  them  on  such 


150  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

occasions,  ^he  has  an  advantage  over  every  other 
man ;  for  the  themes  on  which  he  must  then  dis- 
course are  those  to  which  he  has  often  called  their 
attention.  The  affection  and  reverence  in  which 
such  a  minister  of  Christ  is  held,  binds  every 
family  to  him  by  an  indissoluble  tie.  They  may 
not  heed  his  exhortations,  but  their  consciences 
bear  witness  that  he  has  done  his  duty  faithfully, 
and  in  love,  and  that  if  they  are  lost,  the  resiDonsi- 
bility  will  not  rest  upon  him.  Knowing  him  to  be 
a  true  friend,  they  will  be  the  more  ready  to  come 
to  him  in  their  various  trials  and  perplexities,  and 
thus  there  will  arise  unnumbered  opportunities  of 
diffusing  among  his  people  the  spirit  of  Christian 
benignity,  and  of  leading  them  in  the  path  of 
Christian  uprightness.  Such  is  the  unbounded 
influence  of  disinterested  love.  When  men  need 
a  counsellor,  to  whom  will  they  as  readily  apply 
as  to  one  whom  they  believe  will  be  moved  by  no 
selfish  designs,  but  who,  in  simplicity  of  heart,  will 
advise  them  to  that  course  \(^hich  he  believes  to  be 
for  their  good  ?  To  a  right-minded  man,  what  situ- 
ation on  earth  can  compare  with  such  a  ministra- 
tion as  this  ?  And  let  me  add,  this  conception  has 
frequently  been  realized.  Let  any  one  read  the 
life  of  Legh  Richmond,  and  he  will  see  all  this  ex- 
emplified. While  he  was  very  successful  in  con- 
verting souls  to  Christ,  and  the  unflinching  rebuker 


PASTORAL  VISITATION.  151 

of  wrong,  the  whole  parish  loved  him  as  a  father, 
and  were  guided  by  his  suggestions  almost  as 
thousfh  he  were  an  an^el  from  heaven. 

Besides,  if  a  minister  is  known  to  the  families 
of  his  congregation  as  specially  their  religious 
friend,  whose  life-work  it  is  to  turn  them  from  the 
vanities  of  this  world  to  the  glories  of  another, 
they  will  not  expect  his  presence  in  those  assem- 
blies where  fashionable  gayety  reigns  paramount, 
and  everything  tends  to  forgetfulness  of  God,  of 
judgment,  and  eternity.  They  would  feel  instinct- 
ively that  the  presence  of  a  heavenly-minded  man 
would  be  out  of  harmony  with  such  an  occasion. 
They  would  rarely  ask  him  to  such  scenes  of 
amusement,  and  if  he  were  asked  they  would  de- 
cidedly choose  that  he  should  decline,  as  decline 
he  certainly  would.  Thus,  while  the  kind  of  visit- 
ing which  I  recommend  is  of  great  advantage  to 
the  temporal  and  eternal  interests  of  a  congrega- 
tion, it  delivers  the  pastor  from  temptations  which, 
in  many  cases,  have  been  fatal  to  ministerial  use- 
fulness. 

The  proper  discharge  of  this  duty  will  be  of 
great  service  to  the  minister  himself  When  a 
man  habitually  embraces  every  suitable  opportu- 
nity for  conversation  with  his  people  on  the  topic 
of  religion,  he  will  be  in  no  want  of  subjects  for 
preaching,  especially  if  he  be  a  devout  student  of 


152  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL, 

the  Scriptures.  The  trembling  anxiety  of  a  con- 
victed sinner;  the  objections  to  the  doctrines  of  the 
cross  in  one  who  has  just  begun  to  consider  reli- 
gion as  a  matter  of  jjcrsonal  importance  ;  the  trans- 
porting joy  of  the  returning  penitent;  the  tendency 
to  relapse  into  indifference  from  the  pressure  of 
worldly  associations ;  the  earnest  strivings  of  the 
renewed  soul  after  holiness ;  the  steadfast  faith  of 
the  assured  Christian  when  in  the  furnace  of  afflic- 
tion, and  the  triumph  of  the  departing  saint  who 
is  leaving  this  world  in  the  glorious  hope  of  im- 
mortality,—  these,  and  a  multitude  of  such  experi- 
ences, will  crowd  upon  the  mind  of  the  minister, 
and  suggest  appropriate  texts  for  the  sermons  of 
the  ensuing  Sabbath.  Nor  is  this  all.  As  a  minis- 
ter rises  to  address  his  people,  with  a  large  number 
of  whom  he  has  lately  held  conversation  on  the  sub- 
ject of  religion,  he  is  under  no  temptation  to  speak 
to  them  in  general  terms,  which  not  one  in  ten 
will  understand  ;  but  he  almost  of  course  speaks 
to  their  personal  and  particular  wants;  and  in  doing 
this  he  will  meet  the  wants  of  nearly  every  individ- 
ual of  his  audience.  If  a  man,  then,  would  preach 
directly  and  effectively  to  his  people,  let  hiiu  be- 
come funiliar  with  their  religious  condition.  If  he 
is  in  search  of  subjects,  let  him  lay  aside  his  books, 
and  go  out  and  hold  communion  with  men  on 
eternal  things.     The  great  reason  why  it  is  so  hard 


PASTORAL   VISITATION.  153 

to  preach  is  that  the  minister  spends  too  much  of 
his  time  in  unprofitable  reading  and  conversation, 
and  when  the  hour  arrives  for  preparation  for  the 
pulpit,  the  current  of  his  associations  runs  in  an 
entirely  different  direction ;  so  that  it  would  be 
much  easier  to  write  a  lecture  on  the  books  which 
he  hus  been  reading,  than  to  urge  men,  for  Christ's 
sake,  to  be  reconciled  to  God. 

Nor  is  the  effect  upon  the  audience  in  such  a 
case  to  be  omitted.  As  the  minister  looks  upon 
his  hearers  with  the  consciousness  that  he  has  be- 
fore him  friends  with  whose  moral  condition  he  is 
familiar,  so  they  feel  that  they  are  looking  upon  a 
man  with  whom  they  are  in  full  sympathy.  He  is 
speaking  to  them  on  subjects  which  have  been 
already  matters  of  free  conversation  between  thera. 
His  language,  his  illustrations,  the  tones  of  his 
voice,  are  those  to  which  they  have  become  ac- 
customed. The  children  look  upon  him  as  a  well- 
known  friend.  They  can  understand  him,  for  he 
has  talked  to  them  on  those  subjects  familiarly 
at  home.  Thus  is  it  that  an  audience  is  formed 
that  has  no  parallel  in  interest.  Hearts  are  open  to 
receive  instruction,  —  the  instruction  of  one  whom 
they  venerate  and  love.  What  richer  field  of  labor 
can  be  desired  by  one  who  is  in  reality,  as  well  as 
in  name,  an  ambassador  of  Christ  ?  Is  it  not  worth 
the  effort  to  strive  to  render  all  our  congregations 
such  audiences  as  this? 


154  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

Again,  we  hear,  quite  frequently,  sermons  about 
dead  ohurclies,  lifeless  churches;  and  they  are  ex- 
horted to  become  working,  active  churches.  But 
is  not  an  active,  working  church  one  in  which 
every  member  feels  his  responsibility  to  labor  per- 
sonally for  the  conversion  of  souls,  and  for  the 
advancement  of  the  cause  of  Christ?  Is  not  a 
torpid  or  dead  church  one  in  which  the  individual 
members,  Gallio-like,  care  for  none  of  these  things ; 
who  suffer  year  after  year  to  pass  away  without 
ever  speaking  even  to  an  intimate  acquaintance  of 
his  danger ;  nay,  who,  so  far  as  they  know,  have 
never  been  the  means  of  the  conversion  of  a  single 
soul  ?  It  is  of  churches  of  this  latter  character  that 
ministers  complain  ;  and  they  tell  us  that  they  can 
do  nothing,  because  their  people  do  not  labor  for 
Christ. 

But  let  me  ask,  in  all  simplicity,  how  can  a  min- 
ister expect  others  to  do  what  he  will  not  do  him- 
self? When  he  fails  in  his  duty,  his  people  will 
naturally  fail  also.  When  a  minister  is  silent  on 
the  great  salvation  everywhere  but  in  the  pulpit, 
his  people,  having  no  pulpit,  will  be  silent  every- 
where. Hence,  the  members  of  the  church  are 
what  we,  in  our  sermons,  call  dead,  —  men  whose 
lights,  if  they  have  any,  are  placed  under  a  bushel; 
whose  salt,  if  it  be  indeed  salt,  is  utterly  without 
savor.     Brethren,  let  us  look  this  matter  in  the 


PASTORAL  VISITATION.  155 

face.  I  know  it  is  sometimes  assorted  that  our 
duty  is  discharged  when  we  have  unfolded  to  men 
their  duty ;  that  we,  like  the  Pharisees  of  old,  are 
appointed  to  lay  burdens  on  tiie  shoulders  of 
others  which  we  are  not  to  lift  with  one  of  our 
fingers.  Such  is  not  the  teaching  of  common-sense, 
nor,  above  all,  of  Christ  and  his  apostles.  If  we 
do  not  obey  our  own  teaching,  no  one  else  will 
obey  it.  If  we  are  not  examples  to  the  flock,  our 
teaching  will  go  for  nothing.  All  men  will  say,  if 
you  believed  this  thing  to  be  so  important,  you 
would  do  it  yourselves ;  but  if  you  neglect  it,  your 
preaching  is  only  a  professional  service,  and  if  your 
duty  is  discharged  by  preaching,  ours  is  discharged 
by  hearing,  and  thus  the  account  is  settled  between 
us. 

But  it  will  be  said  that  ministers  have  no  time 
for  all  this.  If  they  insist  on  writing  all  they  utter 
it  may  be  more  difficult,  but  this  writing  is  a  self- 
imposed  labor.  But,  taking  this  into  consideration, 
is  it  so  overwhelming  a  labor  to  write  two  dis- 
courses, of  half  an  hour  each,  in  the  course  of  a 
week?  I  confess  I  am  ashamed  to  hear  men  who 
have  enjoyed  eight  or  ten  years  of  mental  cultiva- 
tion complain  of  this,  as  a  labor  too  great  for  the 
human  faculties.  I  have  said  that  to  a  man  who 
writes  his  discourses,  this  visiting  may  be  more 
difficult ;  but  this  is  by  no  means  certain.     A  mind 


156  MINIS  TR  Y  OF  THE  G  OSPEL. 

filled  with  the  subject  on  which  it  acts,  thinks  rap- 
idly. A  man  in  active  sympathy  with  his  people 
will  have  small  need  of  writing;  he  will,  after  a  little 
practice,  prefer  to  lay  his  notes  aside,  and  speak  to 
them  directly.  Or,  if  he  choose  to  write,  it  will  be 
from  the  outgushing  of  his  heart,  and  he  will  not 
be  obliged  to  pause  every  few  minutes,  pen  in  hand, 
gazing  on  vacancy,  as  if  that  would  tell  him  what 
to  write  next. 

If,  at  last,  it  be  said  that  all  this  is  beneath  the 
dignity  of  our  profession,  and  that  we  cannot  ex- 
pect an  educated  man  to  spend  his  time  in  visiting 
mechanics  in  their  shops  arid  in  sitting  down  with 
women  engaged  in  their  domestic  labor  to  con- 
verse with  them  on  the  subject  of  religion,  to  this 
objection  I  have  no  reply  to  offer.  Let  the  ob- 
jector present  his  case,  in  its  full  force,  to  him  who, 
on  his  journey  to  Galilee,  "  sat  thus  on  the  well," 
and  held  a  memorable  conversation  with  a  woman 
of  Samaria. 

I  am,  yours,  truly. 


LETTER    VIII. 


OTHER  PASTORAL  DUTIES. 


My  Dear  Brother: 

TN  the  preceding  letters  I  have  treated  of  the 
-^  duties  of  a  minister  of  Christ  somewhat  in  gen- 
eral. But  a  minister,  in  the  natural  course  of  events, 
becomes  a  pastor.  Those  duties  which  come  upon 
him  specially  in  this  relation  are  of  great  impor- 
tance.    To  these  let  us  now  direct  our  attention. 

The  general  duty  of  a  minister  is  to  preach  pub- 
licly, and  from  house  to  house.  Here  he  acts  as  a 
herald,  an  announcer  of  the  good  news  which  the 
Saviour  has  sent  him  forth  to  publish.  But  when 
he  undertakes  the  charge  of  a  particular  company 
of  believers,  he  is  styled  an  elder,  an  overseer,  a 
pastor,  an  under  shepherd,  —  all  which  terms  evi- 
dently suggest  duties  in  many  respects  unlike 
those  to  which  we  have  thus  fur  referred.  Some 
of  tliese  let  us  now  consider. 

We  learn  fiom  the  New  Testament  that  when- 
ever sinners  were  converted  in  any  place,  they 
were  collected  together  and  organized  into  a  com- 


158  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

pany  which  is  called  a  church.  This  organization 
is  formed  for  one  single  and  specific  purpose,  to 
extend  the  kingdom  of  Christ ;  and  this  it  accom- 
plishes, first  by  the  conversion  of  sinners,  and  sec- 
ondly by  the  improvement  of  saints  in  holiness.  I 
much  fear  that  this  object,  for  which  alone  a  church 
exists,  is  strangely  forgotten.  A  chemical  society 
is  formed  for  the  purpose  of  increasing  or  extend- 
ing the  knowledge  of  chemistry,  and  the  records 
of  its  meetings  show  what  they  have  done,  what 
laws  they  have  investigated,  what  discoveries  they 
have  made,  and  what  experiments  they  have  car- 
ried on.  That  they  have  given  money  to  others 
to  promote  chemical  investigation,  is  not  enough ; 
they  must,  in  order  to  deserve  their  name,  have 
done  something,  both  individually  and  collectively, 
to  advance  the  object  of  their  organization,  and 
what  they  have  done  will  appear  on  their  record. 
How  does  a  church-record  show,  from  month  to 
month,  what  the  individual  members,  or  the  church 
collectively,  has  been  doing  for  Christ  ?  The 
church  commonly  meets  once  a  month  to  hear 
what  missionaries  are  doing  to  advance  the  king- 
dom of  the  Redeemer;  they  are  pleased  to  hear  of 
conversions  of  sinners,  the  establishment  of  out- 
stations,  or  new  churches,  ten  thousand  miles  off; 
but  where  is  the  church  that  meets  statedly  to  de- 
vise new  measures  for  the  promotion  of  religion  at 


OTHER  PASTORAL  DUTIES.  159 

home,  to  inquire  where  can  we  open  a  new  Sabbath 
school,  or  supply  with  the  preaching  of  the  gospel 
another  out-station,  or  to  hear  a  report  of  the  good 
that  has  been  accomplished  by  our  labors  in  these 
^directions ;  what  has  been  done  to  save  the  perish- 
ing all  around  us ;  what  measure  have  we  taken  to 
bring  the  thoughtless  ones  under  the  influences  of 
the  gospel,  to  check  the  progress  of  vice,  or  build 
each  other  up  in  the  most  holy  faith  ?    Do  the  rec- 
ords of  the  doings  of  our  churches  contain  any 
such  entries  as  these  ?     Where  is  the  pastor  who, 
at  every  church  meeting,  relates  to  his  brethren 
what  he  is  doing  to  promote  the  increase  of  true 
religion,  what  is  his  success,  what  are  the  obstacles 
in  his  way,  and  who  calls  upon  his  brethren  to  aid 
him  in  the  promotion  of  that  work  in  which  they 
all  profess  to  be  united  ?     Where  is  the  church  at 
the  stated  meetings  of  which  the  elder  brethren 
are  heard  pointing  out  to  the  more  recent  converts 
the  temptations  that  are  most  liable  to  beset  them, 
and  the  way  in  w^hich  they  may  best  be  overcome, 
or  exhorting  each  other  to  beware  of  the  snares  of 
the  world,  or  holding  up  the  crown  of  eternal  life 
which  is  in  reserve  for  every  one  that  overcometh  ? 
It  would  seem  the  most  natural  thing  possible  for 
such  doings  as  these  to  be  recorded  in  the  proceed- 
ings of  a  society  having  for  its  sole  object  the  exten- 
sion and  perfecting  of  religion  in  the  souls  of  men. 


1 60  MINIS  TR  Y  OF  TEE  G  OSPEL, 

Such  I  suppose  to  be  the  normal  condition  of  a 
Christian  church.  Can  anything  less  than  this 
save  them  from  the  charge  of  saying  what  they  do 
not  believe,  or  professing  what  they  do  not  prac- 
tise ?  But  I  suppose  that  the  duty  of  stimulating 
a  churcli  to  such  labor,  and  of  organizing  it  in 
such  manner  as  to  give  it  the  greatest  efficiency, 
and  directing  it  to  proper  spheres  of  action,  must 
devolve  on  the  shepherd,  the  pastor,  the  overseer, 
the  leader  of  the  people.  What  is  everybody's 
business  is  nobody's  business,  and  nothing  is  done. 
The  pastor  has  given  his  life  to  this  work,  and,  that 
he  may  do  it,  is  relieved  from  secular  care.  It  is 
not  enough  that  he  admonish  his  brethren  in  gen- 
eral terms,  and  urge  them  over  and  over  again  to 
be  up  and  doing,  as  a  living  and  working  church. 
They  will  hear  all  this,  and  every  one  wait  for  the 
church  to  go  forward ;  no  one  will  feel  any  indi- 
vidual obligation  to  do  anything,  because  he  is  not 
the  church.  I  think  a  pastor  who  wishes  to  see 
his  church  enlarging  itself,  and  gaining  victory 
over  the  world  and  subduing  men  around  it  to 
Christ,  must  go  farther  than  this.  The  duty  of 
every  Christian  to  labor  for  the  conversion  of  souls 
as  the  only  condition  of  enjoying  healthy  piety, 
if  not  of  possessing  piety  at  all,  must  be  pressed 
w^ith  all  simplicity  and  earnestness,  and  the  lesson 
brought  home  to  every  man's  conscience.    Let  the 


OTHER  PASTORAL  DUTIES,  161 

minister,  then,  look  out  suitable  places  in  which, 
two  by  two,  his  brethren  may  labor  among  the 
destitute.  Let  him,  as  a  gospel  overseer,  put  forth 
the  persons  best  adapted  to  the  work.  If  it  can 
be  but  begun,  it  will  increase.  When  men  see 
others  engaged  in  such  a  work,  they  naturally  ask. 
Why  should  I  not  do  so  myself?  and  thus  the 
common  excuse  for  doing  nothing  is  taken  away. 
Such,  according  to  the  Apostle  Paul,  was  the 
church  at  Thessalonica.  "Ye  were,"  said  he, 
"examples  to  all  that  believe  in  Macedonia  and 
Achaia;  for/rom  you  sounded  out  the  word  of  the 
Lord  not  only  in  Macedonia  and  Achaia,  but  in 
every  place  your  faith  toward  God  is  spread 
abroad;"  —  that  is,  by  their  direct  efforts  the  word 
of  God  was  sent  into  Macedonia  and  Achaia;  but 
their  example  also  was  the  means  of  widely  en- 
couraging others  to  follow  in  their  footsteps.  This 
is,  I  suppose,  the  New  Testament  idea  of  a  church. 
Nor  are  such  examples  confined  wholly  to  the 
pages  of  the  New  Testament.  A  remarkable 
instance  of  the  results  of  such  labor  has  occurred 
in  our  own  day.  About  thirty  years  since,  the 
Baptist  church  in  Hamburg  was  constituted,  having 
for  its  pastor  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Oncken.  At  its  organ- 
ization it  contained  but  seven  members.  Carrying 
into  practice  the  New  Testament  idea  of  a  church 
of  Christ,  these  seven  members  have  increased 
11 


162  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

more  than  a  thousand  fold,  and  have  proclaimed 
the  gospel  extensively  in  Prussia,  have  passed  into 
Denmark  and  Sweden,  and  in  their  onward  pro- 
gress have  crossed  the  borders  of  the  Russian 
Empire.  Let  a  church,  on.  the  contrary,  have 
nothing  to  rely  on  but  its  antiquity,  its  wealth,  its 
conservatism,  the  piety  of  its  founders,  its  polar 
distance  from  all  excitement  and  irregularity,  and 
the  social  position  of  the  members  of  its  society, 
and,  although  it  may  have  a  very  respectable 
standing  with  the  world,  it  is  recorded  in  the  book 
that  shall  one  day  be  opened,  A  church  "  having  a 
name  that  it  liveth,  and  is  dead." 

Again,  discipline  is  a  most  important  part  of 
the  duty  of  a  church  of  Christ.  It  was  so  in 
primitive  times,  and  required  the  continual  watch- 
fulness of  the  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles.  The  reason 
of  this  is  evident.  "We  admit  members  to  the 
church  who  give  credible  evidence  that  they 
have  been  renewed  by  the  grace  of  God.  The 
evidence  of  this  is  two-fold.  In  the  first  place, 
there  is  a  change  of  their  views  and  feelings  on 
the  subject  of  religion.  This  must  be  made  known 
to  us  by  the  persons  themselves,  for  it  is  something 
that  has  transpired  within  the  region  of  their  own 
consciousness.  The  second  evidence  is  the  effect  of 
this  change  upon  their  life  and  conversation.  This 
latter  can  only  be  discovered  after  a  suitable  time 


0  THER  PA  S  TORAL  D  UTIES.  1 63 

of  trial.  In  this  we  are  all  liable  to  error.  We 
frequently  do  not  allow  sufficient  time  for  this 
change  to  manifest  itself.  We  are  so  much  re- 
joiced to  witness  conversions,  that  we  can  hardly 
wait  long  enough  to  discriminate  between  the 
true  and  the  false,  the  tares  and  the  wheat.  It 
may  be  an  amiable  weakness  to  receive  members 
into  the  Christian  church  without  sufficient  evi- 
dence of  renewal  of  heart ;  but  it  is  still  a  weak- 
ness, and  its  results  are  frequently  alarming.  In 
an  excited  state  of  public  feeling,  emotions  are 
rapidly  transmitted  from  one  to  another;  anA,  with- 
out any  intention  to  deceive,  a  change  from  deep 
sorrow  to  exultant  joy  is  liable  to  be  mistaken  for 
a  change  from  sin  to  holiness.  I  do  not  believe 
that  cases  of  intentional  hypocrisy  are  numerous, 
though  the  fact  that,  in  most  cases,  a  man  gains 
something  in  position  by  connecting  himself  with 
a  religious  body,  gives  rise  to  a  temptation  in  this 
direction.  Owing,  however,  to  the  allurements  of 
the  present  life,  many  of  whom  we  once  hoped 
well,  while  maintaining  the  form  of  religion,  turn 
back  into  the  world.  The  love  of  God  in  a  human 
soul  can  hardly  maintain  its  existence  except  by 
progress;  and  progress  in  piety  demands  a  sus- 
tained moral  effiDrt.  If  this  effort  relaxes,  the  evil 
dispositions  of  the  heart  at  once  revive,  and  the 
man  by  his  conduct  can  hardly  be   distinguished 


164  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

from  those  who  know  not  God.  Thus,  in  the  par- 
able of  the  ten  virghis,  five  are  represented  as  wise 
and  five  as  foolish.  The  Apostles  Paul  and  John 
make  frequent  mention  of  those  whom  they  once 
esteemed  to  be  disciples,  but  who  had  apostatized 
from  the  faith. 

Now,  it  is  manifest  that  the  moral  power  of 
a  Christian  church  depends  upon  the  character 
which  its  members  exhibit  to  the  world  around 
them.  If  their  conduct  is  such  that  they  are 
known  and  read  of  all  men ;  if  they  are  examples 
of  purity,  disinterestedness,  charity,  and  unsullied 
honor  in  their  dealings  with  men ;  if  their  manner 
of  living  be  simple  and  frugal,  that  they  may  have 
the  more  to  give  to  him  that  needeth  ;  if  they  mani- 
fest a  determination  to  obey  the  will  of  Christ  in  all 
things,  and  are  ever  more  ready  to  suifer  loss  than 
to  do  wrong,  then  such  a  church  becomes  a  witness 
for  God.  Whatever  be  their  social  position,  they 
are  acknowledged  to  be  a  company  of  holy  men ; 
not  conformed  to  the  world,  but  a  peculiar  people, 
transformed  by  the  renewing  of  their  minds. 
Every  one  sees  that  while  in  the  world  they  are 
not  of  the  world,  but  are  victorious  over  the  temp- 
tations by  which  others  are  vanquished.  When 
the  disciples  of  Christ  maintain  such  a  charac- 
ter before  men,  the  exhortations  of  a  minister  of 
the  gospel  have  a  definite  signification.     When  he 


OTHER  PASTORAL  DUTIES.  165 

declares  that  but  two  classes  of  men  are  recog- 
nized in  the  New  Testament,  saints  and  sinners, 
the  evidence  is  before  them.  When  he  urges  upon 
them  the  necessity  of  regeneration,  or  a  radical 
change  of  moral  character,  he  can  point  to  his 
brethren  and  ask,  Have  not  these  men  a  prepara- 
tion for  heaven  of  which  others  are  destitute? 
and  he  knows  that  their  conscience  can  give  but 
one  answer.  He  has  no  need  to  preach  sernions 
in  proof  of  the  truth  of  the  gospel  history,  or  to 
show  in  the  abstract  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as 
religion,  for  the  best  of  all  evidence  is  before  them. 
Here  is  a  type  of  character  which  can  have  been 
produced  by  no  earthly  influence,  for  it  triumphs 
over  everything  earthly  ;  and  the  fact  of  its  exist- 
ence can  be  explained  on  no  other  supposition 
than  that  religion  is  a  reality,  and  that  these  men 
are  what  they  profess  to  be  —  the  children  of  God. 
But  suppose  all  this  to  be  reversed.  Suppose 
the  members  of  a  church,  or  even  a  considerable 
part  of  them,  are  as  grasping,  avaricious,  and 
oppressive  in  their  dealings  as  other  men ;  that 
they  spend  their  gains  in  sensual  indulgence  and 
social  dissipation ;  that  with  the  same  mouth  they 
overreach  their  neighbor  and  speak  to  him  of  their 
hope  of  salvation ;  that  they^are  as  greedy  of  office 
and  as  unprincipled  politicians  as  other  men  ; 
suppose,  also,  that  there  are  men  retained  in  the 


166  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

church,  of  manifest  irreligion,  or  even  of  partially 
known  vice,  retained  there  from  fear  of  displeasing 
relatives  or  for  the  sake  of  swelling  the  number 
of  its  members ;  —  suppose  all  this,  of  what  us.e 
is  it  for  a  minister  to  urge  upon  his  hearers  the 
necessity  of  a  change  of  heart  ?  They  will  reply, 
Of  what  use  can  a  change  of  heart  be  to  us,  for 
we  are  in  fact  more  honest  and  charitable  and 
honorable  than  those  whom  you  call  saints,  nay, 
we  despise  the  conduct  which  we  daily  see  them 
practise.  He  must  be  a  man  of  a  somewhat  pecu- 
liar constitution  who  can  long  persist  in  preaching 
the  gospel  in  plainness  and  simplicity  under  these 
circumstances.  But  the  minister  of  such  a  people 
will  not  long  preach  the  gospel  in  plainness  and 
simplicity.  From  very  shame  he  will  cease  to  urge 
the  distinctive  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  and  subside 
into  a  lecturer  on  subjects  more  or  less  directly 
connected  with  religion,  subjects  that  can  disquiet 
the  conscience  of  no  one.  All  parties  will  like 
him  equally  well,  and  all  will  slumber  on  quietly, 
while  minister  and  hearers  are  rapidly  drawing 
near  to  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ.  I  was  very 
much  impressed  a  few  days  since  by  the  remark 
of  an  eminently  pious  minister  of  the  gospel.  It 
was  to  this  effect :  "  The  greatest  obstacle  at  pres- 
ent to  the  progress  of  religion  is  the  lives  of  those 
who  profess  it!" 


OTHER  PASTORAL  DUTIES.  167 

It  is  needless  to  illustrate  at  greater  length  the 
necessity  of  discipline  in  the  church  of  Christ. 
Without  it  any  church  will,  in  process  of  time, 
become  both  in  feeling  and  practice  conformed  to 
the  world.  It  will  be  a  stumbling  block  to  the 
world,  having  the  name  of  Christ  while  it  really 
belongs  to  his  enemies.  The  salt  will  have  lost  its 
savor,  and  wherewith  shall  it  be  salted  ?  By  dis- 
cipline I  mean  such  a  care  of  the  members  over 
each  other,  that  deviations  from  the  Christian 
character  shall  be  arrested  at  the  outset;  and  if 
they  cannot  be  arrested  by  faithful  and  affection- 
ate advice,  that  such  erring  members  be  excluded 
from  the  church.  It  is  only  in  this  manner  that  a 
church  can  be  a  witness  for  Christ ;  by  the  neglect 
of  discipline  it  in  fact  becomes  a  witness  against 
him.  Nor  in  this  is  there  anything  tyrannical  or 
oppressive.  The  church  does  not  make  the  law. 
Christ  has  made  it,  and  the  church  does  nothing 
but  enforce  it  upon  those  who  voluntarily  come 
under  the  obligation  to  obey  it.  The  precept  is, 
Withdraw  yourselves  from  every  brother  that  walk- 
eth  disorderly  ;  and  this  they  are  bound  to  do,  un- 
less they  would  be  partakers  of  other  men's  sins. 
The  dealing  of  the  Apostle  Paul  with  the  erring 
member  of  the  church  at  Corinth  should  be  our 
example  in  such  cases. 

This  obligation  to  keep  each  other  from  falling 


l68  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

into  sin  rests  upon  every  member.  But  in  this 
work  who  shall  take  the  lead?  Evidently  the 
pastor.  He  is  by  appointment  and  by  office  the 
shepherd  —  the  overseer  of  the  flock.  He,  more 
than  any  one  else,  is  acquainted  with  every  mem- 
ber of  the  chm-ch.  His  word  will  have  more 
effect  than  that  of  any  other  person.  His  duty  in 
this  respect  is  acknowledged  by  all.  If  he  know 
that  a  brother  is  in  danger  of  falling  into  sin,  or 
if  by  his  practice  it  is  evident  that  he  is  declining 
in  the  Christian  life,  he  is  bound  to  see  such 
brother  strictly  in  private,  and  endeavor  to  bring 
him  to  repentance  and  reformation.  In  many 
cases  this  is  all  that  will  be  required ;  and  no  one 
will  be  more  thankful  to  the  pastor,  who  has  thus 
delivered  him  from  the  snare  of  the  devil,  than  the 
erring  brother  himself.  But  there  are  other  cases 
of  a  different  nature.  The  brother  may  have  been 
guilty  of  conduct  that  is  an  offense  to  the  world, 
and  a  reproach  to  the  cause  of  Christ.  Private 
admonition  is  not  enough  in  such  a  case.  The 
church,  as  well  as  the  world,  knows  of  it;  and  if 
it  does  not  testify  its  disapprobation  of  the  sin,  it 
becomes  a  partaker  in  it.  The  pastor  must  bring 
such  a  case  before  the  church  for  its  action.  He 
is  an  overseer,  and  he  must  oversee.  He  is  a 
leader,  and  he  must  take  the  lead  in  all  measures 
for  maintaining  the  purity  of  the  church  to  which 


OTHER  PASTORAL  DUTIES.  169 

he  ministers.  If,  then,  he  know  that  any  mem- 
ber of  the  chm'ch  is,  by  his  conduct,  bringing  dis- 
grace upon  the  cause  of  Christ,  it  is  his  duty,  at 
once,  privately,  to  recL^am  such  a  brother,  if  this 
be  possible ;  or,  if  this  fail,  or  the  matter  is  one  of 
public  offense,  it  is  his  next  duty  to  bring  the  case 
before  the  church,  that,  after  suitable  examination, 
they  may  take  such  action  as  the  laws  of  Christ 
require.  If  he  does  not  act  thus,  he  fails  in  his 
duty ;  he  is  destroying  his  influence  as  a  minister 
of  the  gospel,  and  he  is  responsible  to  his  Master 
for  the  effect  of  such  an  example  on  the  world. 

But  perhaps  it  may  be  said.  We  appoint  a  stand- 
ing committee,  and  they  do  all  the  discipline  in- 
stead of  the  church  and  the  pastor.  I  would 
answer.  It  is  easy  to  appoint  such  a  committee  to 
carry  on  the  discipline  of  the  church ;  but  do  they 
do  it  ?  Is  there  commonly  any  discipline  visible, 
in  a  church  that  thus  leaves  this  duty  to  a  com- 
mittee ?  I  ask,  again,  By  what  right  do  we  appoint 
8uch  a  committee?  Have  Christ  or  his  apostles 
ever  directed  it,  or  informed  us  what  are  to  be 
their  duties  and  what  their  qualifications  ?  Have 
we  any  right  to  change  the  organization  of  the 
church  which  Christ  has  established;  and  what 
right  have  we  to  take  from  the  pastor  and  the 
church  the  responsibility  which  Christ  has  con- 
ferred exclusively  upon  them  ? 


170  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

The  effect  of  a  standing  committee  is,  I  think, 
to  establish  a  power  to  govern  the  church,  instead 
of  allowing  the  chnrcli  to  govern  itself;  to  reduce 
greatly  the  interest  of  the  members  in  the  doings 
of  the  church ;  to  render  its  meetings  a  dry  and 
uninteresting  formality,  and  to  bring  the  discipline 
jilmost  to  a  nullity,  in  which  the  members  feel  the 
smallest  possible  responsibility,  as  they  have  de- 
volved that  responsibility  upon  others.  It  w^ill,  I 
believe,  be  a  good  day  for  the  churches  of  New 
England,  when  they  restore  the  pastor  to  his 
proper  position,  and  resume  for  themselves  the 
responsibility  which  they  have  no  right  to  dele- 
gate to  any  others.  I  well  know  that  the  duty  of 
discipline  is  in  many  cases  distasteful,  and  there- 
fore every  one  seeks  to  avoid  the  discharge  of  it. 
This  difficulty  is  not  removed  by  appointing  some 
one  to  do  for  us  what  we  do  not  like  to  do  our- 
selves. It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  they  will 
like  it  better  than  we,  and  hence  it  will  not  be 
done  at  alL  This  is  one  of  the  causes  of  the  de- 
pressed condition  of  religion  amongst  us.  The 
difference  between  the  professed  disciples  of  Christ 
and  other  men  is  becoming  every  day  less  and 
less  obvious,  and  the  Saviour  might  seem  to  look 
almost  in  vain  among  his  churches  for  one  that  is 
his  representative  among  men.  God  grant  that 
this  tendency  may  be  quickly  arrested. 


OTHER  PASTORAL  DUTIES.  171 

Before  closing  this  letter,  I  desire  to  refer  to  the 
relation  between  the  church  and  the  congregation  ; 
or,  as  it  is  commonly  termed,  the  church  and 
the  society. 

So  far  as  I  know,  in  churches  of  the  Congrega- 
tionalist  and  Baptist  persuasion  in  New  England, 
this  relation  is  of  the  following  character :  The 
church  is  composed  of  men  and  women  who  pro- 
fess to  be  renewed  by  the  grace  of  God,  separated 
from  the  world,  who  have  consecrated  themselves 
and  all  they  possess  to  Christ  for  time  and  eter- 
nity. They,  however,  have  no  power  whatever 
over  the  temporalities  of  the  church.  The  per- 
sons who  own  pews  in  the  meeting-house  form 
what  is  called  the  society,  a  body  corporate  by 
law.  These  may  be  members  of  the  church  or 
not;  they  may  be  believers  or  unbelievers,  their 
simple  title  to  membership  being  that  they  own  a 
pew.  A  member  of  the  church  cannot,  without 
this  qualification,  belong  to  the  society.  It  is  con- 
ceded that  the  society  owns  all  the  property  of 
the  church.  They,  by  vote,  decide  upon  all  its  ex- 
penditures;  they  fix  the  salary  of  the  minister; 
they  pay  for  the  music,  and  in  fact  govern  all  the 
expenditures  of  the  corporation.  When  the  pul- 
pit is  vacant,  a  joint  committee  is  appointed, 
equally  from  the  church  and  the  society,  to  select 
a  candidate  for  the  pastorate.     Half  of  this  com- 


172  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

mittee  may  be  religious,  the  other  half  irreligious 
men.  When  they  have  agreed  upon  a  candidate, 
and  he  has  preached  with  acceptance,  he  is  first 
presented  to  the  church.  If  they  elect  him,  his 
name  is  then  presented  to  the  society  for  their 
approval.  If  they  coincide  with  the  church,  he 
is  considered  duly  elected  ;  otherwise  not.  If  the 
church  and  society,  therefore,  do  not  coincide, 
the  action  of  the  church  goes  for  nothing,  and 
another  candidate  must  be  presented,  who  will 
have  the  sanction  of  both  the  church  and  the 
society.  The  society  having  thus  a  negative  upon 
the  doings  of  the  church,  and  the  power  of  deter- 
mining and  paying  the .  minister's  salary,  it  comes 
to  pass  that,  virtually,  the  election  of  a  minister  is 
frequently  determined  by  them. 

Nor  is  this  all.  The  wealth  and  social  position 
of  a  congregation  is  generally  found,  not  in  the 
church,  but  the  society.  The  latter  are  naturally 
in  favor  of  expensive  houses  of  worship,  of  artistic 
music,  and  of  arrangements  that  shall  indicate 
rank  and  afiiuence.  In  these  expenditures,  the 
church  must  coincide  with  them,  or  lose  their 
cooperation.  Expenditures  of  this  kind,  once  com- 
menced, cannot  be  reduced,  but  inevitably  increase ; 
and  the  result  is,  that  the  worship  of  God  has  be- 
come, in  most  of  our  cities,  so  costly  that  the  poor, 
and  even  the  middling  classes,  are  excluded  from 


OTHER  PASTORAL  DUTIES.  175 

attendance  on  our  churches,  for  it  is  beyond  their 
means.  Is  it  wonderful  that  in  all  our  populous 
places  the  masses  are  fast  lapsing  into  infidelity, 
and  that  the  Sabbath  is  coming  to  be  regarded  as 
a  day  devoted  to  idleness,  dissipation,  and  drunk- 
enness? 

Besides,  this  relation  places  the  minister  in  an 
embarrassing  position.  As  I  have  observed,  it  is 
liable  to  have  an  effect,  probably  unperceived  by 
himself,  on  his  preaching.  It  is  not  every  minister 
who  can  fearlessly  preach  the  gospel  with  unfal- 
tering plainness,  when,  in  so  doing,  he  may  give 
offence  to  those  who  provide  the  greater  part  of 
his  support.  Nay,  more;  should  he  utter  the 
simple  and  uncompromising  doctrines  of  the  New 
Testament,  and  in  so  doing  displease  the  "lead- 
ing members  of  the  society,"  it  is  very  likely 
that  his  own  brethren  would  give  him  to  under- 
stand that  he  had  been  rather  injudicious;  and 
the  question  would  immediately  arise.  If  these 
families  withdraw  from  us,  how  are  our  expenses 
to  be  met?  It  is  not  necessary  to  say  what 
must  be  the  tendency  of  such  a  relation  upon 
a  minister.  Its  effect  upon  his  family  is  wor- 
thy of  a  passing  notice.  The  society  commonly 
embraces  the  richest  portion  of  the  congrega- 
tion, and  those  most  in  the  habit  of  social  inter- 
course.    The  minister  and  his  family  will  be  ex- 


174  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

pected  to  visit  among  them ;  and  this,  from  the 
nature  of  the  case,  will  engage  the  larger  portion 
of  their  visiting.  They  naturally  desire  to  live,  as 
far  as  possible,  after  the  manner  of  those  with 
whom  they  associate,  and  hence  are  led  into  un- 
necessary expenses  in  houses,  furniture,  dress,  and 
manner  of  living.  Hence  it  happens,  not  unfre- 
quently,  that  the  minister's  family  is  drawn  into  a 
style  of  living  above  the  average  of  that  of  the 
members  of  his  church,  though  far  inferior  to  that 
of  many  of  the  members  of  his  society,  while  he 
himself  is  pinched  and  straitened  in  the  effort  to 
maintain  it.  In  the  meantime,  all  the  benefit  of 
the  example  of  a  minister  in  favor  of  plainness  and 
simplicity,  and  indifference  to  worldly  distinction, 
is  lost;  and  his  children  are  educated  in  habits  of 
expensiveness  utterly  at  variance  with  any  provi- 
sion which  it  is  in  his  power  to  make  for  them. 

That  all  these  evils  everywhere  manifest  them- 
selves, I  by  no  means  assert.  I  well  know  that 
they  do  not.  I  know  that,  in  a  multitude  of  in- 
stances, gentlemen  of  the  society  leave  all  that 
belongs  to  the  religious  interests  of  the  congrega- 
tion to  the  church,  and  take  pleasure  in  cooperat- 
ing with  them  in  every  good  design.  This  is  spe- 
cially the  case  when  the  church  itself  is  earnestly 
eno-ao-ed  in  the  promotion  of  religion.  But  that 
the  tendency  is  in   the  direction   which   I   ha^^e 


OTHER' PAST  ORAL  DUTIES,  175 

pointed  out  I  sincerely  believe  ;  and  I  think  I  can 
hardly  be  mistaken.  I  know  of  a  case,  ata  meeting 
of  the  society  of  a  Baptist  church  a  few  years  since, 
in  which  the  following  facts  transpired.  The  sub- 
ject of  the  different  powers  of  the  church  and 
society  having  been  under  discussion,  a  leading 
member  of  the  society  remarked  "  that  the  society 
owned  the  meeting-house,  and  had  unlimited  con- 
trol over  it  and  over  the  pulpit,  and  that  they  had 
a  right  to  place  in  that  pulpit  whomsoever  they 
chose ;  even,"  said  he,  "  a  catholic  priest,  if  they 
should  so  determine."  When  asked  what  right, 
then,  had  the  church  in  this  matter,  he  replied: 
"  They  may  choose  their  minister  if  they  like,  but 
it  is  for  us  to  say  whether  he  shall  occupy  the  pul- 
pit." Such  is  the  tendency  o^  this  relation;  and 
the  harmony  that  is  spoken  of  where  the  relation 
is  acknowledged,  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  the 
church  avoids  coming  into  collision  with  the  society, 
and  by  so  doing  yields  the  points  essential  to  its 
independence  until  there  is  no  longer  any  danger 
of  antagonism.  When  we  permanently  intrust 
power  over  us  to  others,  with  the  expectation  that 
it  will  always  be  used  for  our  advantage,  such  ex- 
pectation is  very  rarely  realized.  The  caution  of 
the  Saviour  is  eminently  wise :  "  Give  not  that 
which  is  holy  to  the  dogs,  neither  cast  ye  your 
pearls  before  swine,  lest  they  trample  them  under 


176  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

their  feet,  and  turn  again  and  rend  you."  The 
meaning  of  this  homely  Jewish  proverb,  in  the 
mouth  of  the  Saviour,  evidently  is,  Surrender  not 
the  control  over  the  cause  of  religion  into  the 
hands  of  those  who  have  no  personal  interest  in  it. 
You  can  gain  nothing  by  it,  and  it  will  in  the  end 
turn  to  your  disadvantage. 

Of  the  absurdity  of  such  a  claim  it  is  needless 
to  speak.  A  church  of  Christ  is  established  to 
propagate  certain  doctrines,  participate  in  certain 
ordinances,  and  perform  certain  duties  which  they 
suppose  to  be  commanded  by  the  Saviour.  The 
ownership  of  their  temporal  property,  by  the  de- 
cisions of  courts  of  law,  must  vest  in  corporators, 
who  are  called  the  society ;  but  this  ownershij:)  is 
by  no  means  in  fee-simple.  It  is  merely  a  techni- 
cal ownership,  for  the  intention  of  better  enabling 
the  church  to  carry  out  the  purpose  for  which  it 
was  organized,  and  for  no  other.  It  is  merely  a 
trusteeship,  a  holding  of  property  for  the  sake  of 
accomplishing  a  particular  object.  It  has  no  power 
to  act  for  any  other  purpose. 

If  still  further  we  look  at  the  nature  of  a  church 
of  Christ,  we  shall  at  once  perceive  that  it  is  essen- 
tially at  variance  with  any  such  relation.  A  church 
of  Christ  is  a  company  of  believers,  of  sinners 
renewed  in  the  spirit  of  their  minds,  reconciled  to 
God  by  the  sacrifice  of  his  Son,  and,  through  grace, 


r 
OTHER  PASTORAL  DUTIES.  177 

inheritors  of  eternal  life.  Such  is  the  idea  of  a 
church  in  the  New  Testament.  Now  for  the  good 
of  their  own  souls,  and  the  conversion  of  the  souls 
of  others,  they,  in  the  fear  of  God,  choose  a  minis- 
ter whom  they  believe  best  qualified  to  accomplish 
these  purposes.  But  here  comes  forward  a  com- 
pany of  men,  who  profess  no  personal  interest  in 
the  religion  of  Christ,  who  may  not  even  believe 
it  to  be  true,  and  declare  that  this  man  is  not  our 
choice ;  you  cannot,  therefore,  have  him  for  your 
minister ;  and  you  must  choose  some  one  whom  we 
shall  select.  They  might  just  as  well  dictate  to 
the  church  in  the  choice  of  deacons,  or  prescribe 
what  ordinances  shall  be  administered,  at  what 
time,  and  in  what  manner,  or  who  shall  or  shall 
not  be  admitted  to  the  church.  If  these  principles 
are  carried  out  to  their  legitimate  result,  it  is  ob- 
vious that  they  are  wholly  antagonistic  to  the  very 
ideas  on  which  the  church  of  Christ  is  established. 
Our  fathers  long  since  foresaw  the  evils  which 
might  arise  from  this  relation,  and  for  a  time  man- 
fully resisted  it.  They  were  unwilling  to  apply  for 
acts  of  incorporation,  and  held  their  property  by 
trustees  of  their  own  choosing.  The  tide  of  world- 
liness,  however,  rose  so  high,  that  every  barrier  was 
gradually  swept  away.  They  were  considered  over- 
scrupulous, behind  the  age ;  but  a  result  has  been 
reached  which  has  justified  their  apprehensions. 
12 


178  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

I  need  not,  however,  pursue  this  subject  at 
greater  length.  When  the  attention  of  thought- 
ful men  is  turned  to  it,  I  apprehend  that  they  will 
find  it  to  be  of  graver  importance  than  they  have 
heretofore  supposed. 

The  question  will,  of  course,  arise,  Supposing  all 
this  to  be  so,  what  is  to  be  done  ?  The  remedy  for 
these  evils  is  apparent;  and  if  Christian  men  are 
willing  to  apply  it,  there  is  no  doubt  of  its  efficacy. 
The  support  of  the  ministry,  and  the  expenses  at- 
tendant upon  the  worship  of  God,  properly  belong 
to  the  church  itself,  and  to  the  church  alone.  They 
alone  have  been  taught  by  the  Holy  Spirit  the 
value  of  the  soul,  and  the  means  most  likely  to 
lead  to  its  salvation.  It  is  the  distinctive  duty  of 
their  profession,  to  consecrate  themselves  and  their 
substance  to  the  promotion  of  the  kingdom  of 
Christ,  and  complete  the  work  on  earth  which  he 
came  from  heaven  to  accomplish.  They  should, 
then,  build  their  own  meeting-houses,  support  their 
own  minister,  and,  in  a  word,  pay  all  the  expense 
required  for  the  decent  and  proper  worship  of  God. 
They  should  be  ashamed  to  ask  others  to  do  for 
them  what  it  is  their  privilege  and  duty  to  do  for 
themselves.  Much  more  should  they  be  ashamed 
to  ask  men  who  have  no  personal  interest  in  reli- 
gion to  minister  to  their  love  of  magnificence, 
while,  as  a  compensation,  they  surrender  to  them 


OTHER  PASTORAL  DUTIES.  179 

the  control  of  those  arrangements  on  which  the 
prosperity  of  the  cause  of  Christ  vitally  depends. 

It  will,  of  course,  in  the  first  'place,  be  said,  If  we 
pursue  this  course  it  will  cost  the  church  a  great 
deal  more  money.  There  can  be  no  doubt  on  this 
subject ;  it  undoubtedly  will ;  and  is  it  not  just  that 
it  should  ?  There  are  many  congregations  in  which 
those  who  have  no  personal  interest  in  religion  pay 
more  towards  its  expenses  than  those  who  profess 
themselves  to  be  disciples  of  Christ.  Is  not  this  a 
shame  ?  and  is  it  wonderful  if,  under  these  circum- 
stances, we  should  lay  ourselves  open  to  the  charge 
of  i^rofessing  what  we  really  do  not  believe? 
And  this  reproach  is  rendered  the  more  pungent 
from  the  well-known  fact  that  we  profess  to  have 
surrendered  ourselves  and  all  that  we  possess  to  the 
cause  of  Christ,  and  have  vowed  to  live  no  more 
to  ourselves,  but  to  him.  On  what  principle,  then, 
can  we  surrender  the  government  of  his  church 
to  others,  for  the  sake  of  retaining  to  ourselves  a 
greater  portion  of  the  mammon  that  perisheth  ? 
Do  we  believe  the  words  of  our  Saviour,  "  Except 
a  man  he  horn  again  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of 
God"? 

But  it  will  be  said.  If  we  alone  bear  the  expen- 
ses of  the  worship  of  God,  we  can  neither  erect 
splendid  and  costly  meeting-houses,  nor  adorn  our 
services  with  such  accessories  as  shall  attract  men 


180  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

of  taste,  refinement,  and  intelligence.  Possibly 
this  may  be  so.  But  who  hath  required  such 
expenditure  at  our  hands?  Are  the  souls  of  the 
few  men  of  taste,  refinement,  and  intelligence, 
whom  we  may  attract  by  our  architectural  costli- 
ness, of  any  more  value  than  the  souls  of  the  hun- 
dreds of  the  poor  whom,  by  these  very  means,  we 
exclude  from  our  sanctuaries  ?  Is  not  the  expen- 
siveness  of  the  worship  of  God  in  our  cities  one 
of  the  reasons  why  the  mass  of  our  people  are 
coming  to  spend  the  Sabbath  in  idleness  and  crim- 
inal indulgence  ? 

But  it  may  be  said  that  taste  and  imagination 
are  given  us  by  our  Creator ;  and  is  it  not  right  to 
gratify  them  in  the  worship  of  God,  and  thus  make 
them  subservient  to  our  spiritual  improvement? 
To  this  I  would  reply,  when  the  beautiful  is  at 
variance  with  the  useful,  good  taste  requires  that 
the  former  should  always  give  place  to  the  latter. 
If  a  column  were  ever  so  beautiful,  but  totally 
unable  to  support  a  building,  would  not  that  taste 
expose  itself  to  scorn  which  should  insist  on  plac- 
ing it  where  it  would  inevitably  work  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  whole  edifice?  I  ask.  When  did  ex- 
pensive architecture  and  splendid  ceremonial  ever 
conduce  to  the  true  worhip  of  God  under  the 
New  Testament  dispensation  ?  Have  not  the  ages 
in  which  the  most  costly  monuments  of  ecclesiasti- 


OTHER  PASTORAL  DUTIES.  181 

cal  architecture  have  been  reared,  been  also  ages  of 
the  deepest  spiritual  darkness  ?  Again,  if  the 
kingdom  of  Christ  is  to  rely  for  its  existence  and 
extension  upon  the  gratification  of  taste  and  imag- 
ination, and,  in  general,  on  the  love  of  the  beautiful, 
is  it  not  strange  that  the  Son  of  God,  when  on 
earth,  did  not  discover  it  ?  Music  and  architecture 
and  ceremonial  have  their  own  effect,  but  it  is  not 
the  effect  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  nor  is  the  voice  of 
taste  as  powerful  as  the  voice  of  conscience ;  and 
it  is  by  the  action  of  the  Spirit  on  the  conscience 
that  we  expect  the  world  to  be  converted.  I  know 
that  by  splendid  ceremonial  we  may  attract  the 
gay  and  thoughtless,  who  go  to  church  as  they 
would  go  to  an  opera ;  but  let  a  house  of  worship 
be  ever  so  plain,  even  like  the  upper  chamber  at 
Jerusalem,  if  its  atteiiclants  he  really  holy  meuy 
if  it  be  known  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  in  the 
midst  of  them,  making  men  new  creatures  in 
Christ  Jesus,  the  multitude  will  come  together,  you 
cannot  keep  them  away,  and  they  will  begin  to  cry 
out,  "Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do?"  Con- 
science will  compel  men  of  all  classes  to  attend 
such  meetings,  and  nothing  can  resist  its  urgency. 
They  will  come,  not  to  display  their  personal 
adornment,  not  to  gaze  upon  stained-glass  win- 
dows, not  to  listen  to  artistic  music,  but  to  know 
what  they  shall  do  to  be  saved. 


182  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

I  believe,  then,  that  the  members  of  the  church 
of  Christ  should  own  their  house  of  worship,  and 
have  the  exclusive  control  over  everything  that 
would  in  any  manner  limit  their  power  to  act 
according  to  their  own  views  of  duty  to  Christ. 
I  believe  that,  claiming  this  authority  and  exer- 
cising it,  they  should  assume  the  whole  expense 
of  public  worship  in  all  its  departments.  If 
any  one  desires  to  worship  with  them,  they 
should  receive  him  gladly,  and  cheerfully  present 
him  and  his  family  with  the  use  of  a  pew  so  long 
as  he  chooses  to  occupy  it.  If  he  desires  to  con- 
tribute to  their  expenses,  let  them  receive  his 
donation  gratefully;  it  being,  however,  always  un- 
derstood, that,  until  he  became  a  member  of  the 
churcli  of  Christ,  he  could  acquire  no  right  to  con- 
trol any  of  its  arrangements.  Such  do  I  consider 
to  be  the  mode  of  action  demanded  by  the  princi- 
ples of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  When,  how- 
ever, existing  arrangements  have  been  made  with 
the  present  understanding,  I  would  have  nothing 
done  which  shall  violate  even  an  implied  contract. 
I  would,  however,  return  to  Christian  principles, 
just  as  fast  as  it  can  be  done  consistently  with 
pledged  faith  and  a  pure  conscience.  We  may  not 
do  evil  that  good  may  come,  but  I  would  have 
good  come  as  fast  as  it  can,  without  the  doing  of 
any  evil. 


OTHER  PASTORAL  DUTIES.  183 

Let  it  not  be  supposed  that  I  mean  the  slightest 
disrespect  to  those  gentlemen,  and  there  are  many 
such,  who,  from  disinterested  benevolence,  have 
labored  earnestly  and  given  largely  of  their  sub- 
stance to  s'upport  the  institutions  of  religion.  I 
trust  I  am  incapable  of  feeling  towards  them  any 
other  sentiments  than  those  of  gratitude  and  re- 
spect. They  have  done  for  us  what  we  ought  to 
have  done  for  ourselves.  They  themselves  must 
see  that  the  principles  on  which  the  present  rela- 
tion between  the  church  and  society  rest  are  capa- 
ble of  great  abuse,  and  though  they  would  not 
abuse  it,  there  are  others  who  might.  We  wish  to 
be  untrammeled  in  our  labor  for  their  eternal  wel- 
fare, and  I  am  sure  they  will  not  blame  us.  We 
pray  without  ceasing  for  their  salvation,  and  gladly 
would  we  welcome  them  to  fellowship  with  us.  But, 
so  long  as  they  refuse  to  obey  the  commands  of  our 
common  Saviour,  they  must  not  take  it  unkindly 
if  we  are  unwilling  to  trust  his  cause  in  their 
hands,  when,  in  so  doing,  we  must  also  commit  it 
to  those  who  will  not  use  their  power  as  they  have 
done.  Rather  than  do  this  we  are  willing  to  as- 
sume the  whole  expense  of  worship,  because  we 
believe  it  will  be  for  their  spiritual  good  as  well  as 
for  our  own,  and  expect  from  them  no  other  mate- 
rial aid  than  they  voluntarily  choose  to  furnish. 
I  am,  yours,  truly. 


LETTER   IX. 

MINISTERIAL  EXAMPLE. 

My  Dear  Brother: 

TTT"  E  may  congratulate  each  other  that  we  are 
'  ^  approaching  the  end  of  this  prolonged  dis- 
cussion. I  say  prolonged,  because  I  supposed  at 
the  beginning  that  forty  or  fifty  pages  would  afford 
sufficient  space  for  the  accomplishment  of  my  pur- 
pose. The  subject,  however,  has  seemed  to  in- 
crease in  importance  as  I  have  pursued  it,  and 
has  led  me  into  other  fields,  which,  at  first,  I  did 
not  intend  to  occupy.  I  have  but  one  topic  more 
to  which  I  shall  direct  your  attention.  It  is  min- 
isterial example.  Upon  this  I  now  purpose  to 
enter. 

The  importance  of  the  example  of  a  minister  of 
Christ  is  obvious  to  the  most  casual  observer.  In 
the  first  place,  he  is  evidently  under  the  same  re- 
sponsibilities as  other  men.  We  always  expect  that 
a  man's  deportment  will  not  be  inconsistent  with 
the  occupation  which  he  has  chosen,  and  on  which 
his  success  in  life  depends.     Especially  we  think 


MINISTERIAL  EXAMPLE.  185 

it  inexcusable  folly  for  a  man  to  allow  himself  in 
any  habits  which  would  nullity  the  effect  of  all  his 
serious  labor.  A  physician,  for  instance,  holds  im- 
portant relations  to  the  community.  We  intrust 
to  his  decisions  the  lives  of  those  most  dear  to  us. 
A  right-minded  physician  cannot  act  in  cases  which 
daily  present  themselves,  without  a  solemn  convic- 
tion of  the  responsibility  which  rests  upon  him. 
In  a  man  thus  habitually  occupied,  we  naturally 
look  for  a  gravity  of  manner,  a  thoughtfulness  of 
demeanor,  in  harmony  with  the  circumstances  by 
which  he  is  surrounded.  If  he  be  frivolous  and 
trifling ;  if  we  plainly  perceive  that  he  cares  not  a 
rush  whether  his  patient  recover  or  die,  provided 
his  fee  be  secure  ;  if  in  the  midst  of  a  despairing 
family  he  can  be  jocose  and  unfeeling;  and,  still 
more,  if  his  habitual  companions  are  the  gay  and 
thoughtless,  who  know  of  no  serious  business  in 
life,  we  instinctively  recoil  from  him  as  one  whose 
deportment  is  utterly  inconsistent  with  the  solem- 
nity of  the  decisions  which  he  is  called  upon  to 
make.  His  pocket  may  be  filled  with  diplomas 
from  all  the  schools  in  America  and  Europe,  but  it 
will  avail  him  nothing.  Death-beds  are  not  places 
for  trifling,  and  he  will  not  be  asked  to  approach 
them. 

Or,  take  the  service  to  which  the  ministry  of  the 
gospel  is  likened  by  the  Apostle  Paul,  that  of  an 


186  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

ambassador.  An  ambassador  is  sent,  for  instance, 
to  a 'revolted  province  with  terms  of  peace  and 
reconciliation ;  and  on  the  success  or  failure  of  his 
mission  the  life  and  property  of  thousands  of  his 
fellow-men  depend.  Every  word  that  he  utters 
will  be  watched  by  his  hearers  with  the  mo'st  jeal- 
ous attention  ;  for  to  misunderstand  him  may  be 
fatal.  Nor  are  his  words  alone  observed  :  his  ac^ 
tions,  his  general  deportment,  the  very  tones  of  his 
voice,  are  worthy  of  notice.  All  men  wish  to  know 
not  only  what  he  says,  but,  from  the  manner  of  his 
saying  it,  from  his  general  bearing,  they  wish  to 
learn  what  is  the  real  verity.  Was  he  actually 
sent  by  the  sovereign  whom  he  professes  to  repre- 
sent ?  Is  he  such  a  person  as  would  be  likely  to  be 
commissioned  on  such  an  errand  ?  Does  he  really 
believe  the  document  which  he  professes  to  com- 
municate ?  Does  he  act  as  if  his  message  were 
of  unspeakable  importance ;  as  though  he  in  fact 
believed  that  his  hearers  were  in  imminent  peril, 
and  that  the  words  which  he  addressed  to  them 
convey  their  only  hope  of  salvation  ? 

But,  suppose  that  this  ambassador,  intrusted 
with  a  message  of  transcendent  importance,  ex- 
hibits no  particular  interest  in  the  delivery  of  it : 
suppose  he  clothes  it  in  language  which  not  more 
than  one  in  ten  can  clearly  understand :  suppose 
he  only  presents  it  when  he  is  paid  for  it,  and  then 


MINISTERIAL  EXAMPLE.  187 

that  he  is  apparently  as  desirous  of  raising  for 
himself  a  literary  reputation  as  of  leading  men  to 
accept  of  it;  that  his  communication  having  been 
thus  delivered,  he  seems  to  think  no  more  about 
it ;  that  except  on  particular  and  set  occasions  he 
never  alludes  to  the  terms  of  his  embassy,  and 
never  of  his  own  motion  speaks  of  it  even  to  his 
most  intimate  personal  friends;  that  he  enters 
with  his  rebellious  fellow-citizens  into  all  their 
amusements,  and  makes  the  rule  of  his  conduct,  not 
the  precepts  of  his  sovereign,  but  the  customs  of 
the  society  by  which  he  is  surrounded,  —  suppose 
all  this,  would  any  one  believe  that  his  mission 
was  a  reality,  or  that  he  in  the  least  considered  the 
danger  to  be  such  as  he  declared  himself  commis- 
sioned to  make  known  ?  Would  not  the  men  to 
whom  he  was  accredited  slumber  on  in  security 
until  the  time  of  reconciliation  had  passed  away  ? 
Then  on  whom  would  the  responsibility  of  their 
destruction  rest? 

Now,  in  the  light  of  the  New  Testament,  the 
responsibility  of  a  physician,  or  an  ambassador,  is 
a  small  matter  in  comparison  with  that  of  a  minis- 
ter of  Christ.  In  the  one  case,  the  interests  only 
of  time  are  treated  of;  in  the  other,  the  interests 
of  eternity.  Every  word,  nay,  every  action  of  him 
who  comes  as  a  messenger  of  God,  may  have  an 
important  effect  upon  an  immortal  soul.     Men  ex- 


188  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

pect  from  such  a  person  a  deportment  in  harmony 
with  the  grave  importance  of  the  message  which 
he  delivers.  If  he  be  habitually  frivolous,  jocular, 
or  trifling,  it  is  impossible  for  his  hearers  to  think 
him  in  earnest,  or  that  he  believes  what,  on  peril 
of  eternal  destruction,  he  calls  upon  others  to 
believe.  How  many  a  moving  discourse  has  been 
rendered  useless  by  the  conversation  of  half  an 
hour,  after  the  assembly  has  been  dismissed ! 
The  minister  has  destroyed  the  eflTect  of  his 
preaching  in  the  company  into  which  he  has 
fallen.  They  repeat  it  to  others ;  it  is  the  talk  of 
the  whole  neighborhood  ;  and  thus  he  succeeds  in 
eradicating  every  trace  of  seriousness  from  minds 
on  which  he  seemed  to  have  produced  some  good 
impression.  I  have,  myself,  known  of  just  such 
cases,  in  which  it  came  to  be  the  common  remark  : 

"  When  Mr. is  in  the  pulpit  we  think  he  should 

never  come  out ;  and  when  he  is  o^ct  we  think  he 
should  never  go  inP  I  well  remember  an  instance 
of  this  kind,  in  my  own  experience.  I  had  been 
preaching  on  a  solemn  subject  on  a  week-day  even- 
ing, and  the  audience  seemed  more  than  ordinarily 
interested.  In  walking  out  with  one  of  my  hear- 
ers, I  was  guilty  of  making  some  trifling  remark, 
the  spirit  of  which  was  wholly  at  variance  with  all 
that  I  had  been  saying.  I  was  immediately  im- 
pressed with  my  inconsistency  and  wrong-doing; 


MINISTERIAL  EXAMPLE.  189 

and,  though  more  than  thirty  years  have  elapsed 
since  this  occurrence,  I  never  think  of  it  without 
regret,  and,  I  hope,  repentance ;  for  that  one  trifling 
expression  may  have  wrought  permanent  injury  to 
an  immortal  soul. 

Discerning  men  recognize  at  once  the  tone  of 
character  which  befits  a  minister  of  the  gospel. 
His  daily  occupation  is  to  warn  men  to  flee  from 
the  wrath  to  come ;  to  point  sinners  to  the  Lamb 
of  God ;  to  visit  the  sick  and  dying ;  and,  that  he 
may  do  these  things  with  success,  his  mind  must 
be  habitually  penetrated  with  these  momentous 
ideas.  Such  thoughts  must  surround  him  with  an 
atmosphere  utterly  repugnant  to  trifling  amuse- 
ment and  social  dissipation.  Men  of  sense  expect 
to  see  the  tone  of  character  which  such  habitual 
reflection  cannot  but  create;  and  when  they  see 
it  they  do  it  honor.  It  is  true  they  will  often 
welcome  a  minister  to  scenes  of  gayety,  because 
his  presence  seems  to  declare  that,  in  his  opinion, 
it  is  innocent  thus  to  spend  the  time  of  an  immor- 
tal being.  It  is,  however,  a  cutting,  though  unin- 
tentional rebuke,  when  a  man  given  up  to  the 
world  meets  a  minister  amidst  a  scene  of  thought- 
less frivolity,  and,  taking  his  hand,  expresses  his 
pleasure  at  seeing  him ;  adding,  in  the  blandest  of 
tones,  "  I  hardly  expected  to  meet  you  here ! " 
Luxurious  and  expensive  entertainments,  and  most 


190  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

of  the  forms  of  public  amusement,  are  inappro- 
priate places  for  him  who  teaches  men  "to  turn 
from  these  vanities  to  serve  the  living  God."  It 
is  not  enough  to  ask,  What  is  the  positive  harm 
of  these  amusements?  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that 
they  constitute  one  of  the  gods  which  men  of  this 
world  worship,  and  by  which  they  are  led  captive 
by  thousands,  to  their  eternal  undoing.  Nor  is 
this  all.  It  is  impossible  for  hearers  to  believe  that 
a  minister  who  is  seen  amidst  scenes  of  fashion 
and  dissipation,  is  in  earnest  when  he  urges  them 
to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.  If  he  does  not 
enjoy  them,  say  they,  why  is  he  here  ?  If  he  does 
enjoy  them,  say  what  he  will,  he  is  at  heart  just 
like  one  of  us.  The  effect  of  such  associations  on 
a  minister's  preaching  is  obvious.  That  man  must 
be  endowed  with  an  unusual  amount  of  modest 
assurance,  who  during  the  week  will  unite  in  the 
gayety  of  fashionable  life,  and  on  the  Sabbath 
preach  on  the  realities  of  eternity  and  the  abso- 
lute necessity  of  setting  our  affections  on  things 
above,  not  on  things  on  the  earth.  An  eminent 
minister  of  the  gospel,  the  most  eloquent  preacher 
that  I  ever  heard,  once  said  to  me,  "  When  I  was 

settled  in  the  city  of ,  a  large  number  of  the 

most  distinguished  men  in  the  State  attended  my 
church;  they  were  really  very  kind  to  me,  and 
always  invited  me  to  their  dinner-parties.     For  a 


MINISTERIAL   EXAMPLE,  191 

while  I  accepted  their  invitations.  They  were 
men  of  high  intelligence,  and  their  parties  were 
disgraced  by  no  intemperance  or  excess.  But  I 
found  that  if  I  dined  with  them  on  Saturday  I 
could  not  preach  to  the  sinners  as  I  wanted  to  on 
Sunday ;  so  I  broke  it  off  altogether."  Did  he 
not,  in  this  case,  act  as  became  a  minister  of 
reconciliation  ? 

But  it  will,  perhaps,  be  said  that  Jesus  Christ, 
when  on  the  earth,  accepted  invitations  to  dine, 
in  all  companies ;  and  it  was  even  said  of  him, 
by  way  of  reproach,  "  This  man  receiveth  sinners, 
and  eateth  with  them " :  why  may  we  not  safely 
take  him  for  our  example?  Undoubtedly  we 
may,  if  we  will  honestly  take  him  as  our  exam- 
ple. It  is  true,  Jesus  Christ  seems  to  have  gone 
into  any^company  to  which  he  was  invited,  but  he 
always  went  as  a  simple  preacher  of  righteousness; 
and  some  of  the  most  solemn  and  searching  appeals 
that  he  ever  delivered  were  spoken  on  such  occa- 
sions. He  was  with  the  men  around  him,  but  he 
was  not  of  them;  and,  setting  aside  all  convention- 
alities, he  employed  such  occasions,  as  he  did  all 
others,  as  opportunities  for  preaching  the  kingdom 
of  God.  If  a  man  will  act  as  Jesus  Christ  acted, 
there  can  be  no  objection  to  his  going  anywhere. 
If,  however,  he  cannot  do  this,  he  had  better  keep 
out   of  the  way  of  temptation.      It   is   certainly 


192  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

innocent  for  him  to  stay  at  home ;  it  is  not  inno- 
cent to  go  where,  by  his  conduct,  he  may  deny 
his  Master,  bring  guilt  uj^on  his  own  soul,  and 
place  a  stumbling-block  before  the  souls  of  others. 
William  Allen  and  Stephen  Grellet,  distinguished 
members  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  made  several 
journeys  on  the  continent  of  Europe,  on  religious 
missions.  They  were  commonly  received  with 
much  attention  by  men  of  the  very  highest  rank, 
on  account  of  their  personal  character  and  active 
philanthropy.  They  were  frequently  invited  to 
dine  with  persons  eminent  for  jDosition,  with 
princes,  ministers  of  state,  and  others  of  great 
consideration,  and  they  frequently  accepted  the 
invitations.  They  always,  however,  went  as  the 
disciples  of  Christ,  and  entered  into  no  conversa- 
tion inconsistent  with  that  character;  and  it  was 
their  habit,  before  the  company  separated,  to 
spend  a  portion  of  time  in  religious  exhortation 
and  prayer.  On  such,  as  on  all  other  occasions,  it 
became  evident  that  the  object  to  which  every 
other  was  subordinate  was,  to  relieve  distress,  to 
sUccor  the  unfortunate,  to  circulate  the  Scriptures, 
and  urge  all  men  to  serious  attention  to  the  sub- 
ject of  personal  religion.  Their  conduct  was  thus 
consistent  with  their  profession,  and  their  ad- 
dresses were  always  received  with  respect,  and 
frequently  with  thankfulness  and  tears.     Oh  that 


MINISTERIAL  EXAMPLE.  193 

we  had  many  such  tourists,  both  laymen  and 
ministers  of  the  gospel,  travelling  over  Europe  at 
the  present  day ! 

Again,  no  one  who  has  been  in  the  habit  of  con- 
versation with  young  persons  on  the  subject  of 
religion,  can  have  failed  to  observe  that  the 
love  of  social  amusement,  more  than  anything 
else,  takes  off  the  thoughts  from  God  and  eternity, 
renders  the  mind  the  slave  of  the  things  that 
perish,  and  presents  one  of  the  strongest  obsta- 
cles to  repentance.  How  can  a  minister,  whose 
business  it  is  to  win  souls,  sanction,  by  his  presence, 
amusements  which  he  knows  stand  directly  in  the 
way  of  a  sinner's  conversion  ?  It  may  be  said, 
perhaps,  Tell  us,  then,  what  are  the  amusements 
which  a  minister  may  properly  attend,  and  what 
those  which  he  should  avoid?  This  is  not  possi- 
ble, nor  is  it  needful.  A  sanctified  heart  will 
guide  a  minister  aright ;  to  an  unsanctified  heart 
rules  are  of  no  value.  When  such  a  question 
arises,  let  him  ask  himself,  in  the  first  place.  Is  this 
amusement  innocent  ?  in  the  next  place.  Is  it  a 
suitable  occupation  for  the  soul  of  an  immortal 
being ;  will  it  improve  my  physical,  intellectual,  or 
moral  health ;  is  it  liable  to  be  misunderstood,  so 
that  it  may  be  a  stumbling-block  to  others ;  will 
it  promote  or  retard  the  great  object  to  which  I 
have  consecrated  my  life  ?  The  answer  to  these 
13 


194  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

questions  will  enable  a  minister  to  decide  correctly, 
if  be  really  wisbes  to  know  tbe  will  of  tbe  Master. 
"If  meat,"  says  St.  Paul,  "maketb  my  brotber 
to  offend,  I  will  eat  no  meat  wbile  tbe  world 
standetb ! " 

But  a  minister  of  tbe  gospel  may  destroy  bis 
power  for  good  directly,  as  well  as  indirectly.  His 
special  cbaracter  is  tbat  of  a  moral  teacber;  and 
we  all  know  tbat  tbe  power  of  a  moral  teacber  is 
measured,  in  a  great  degree,  by  bis  obedience  to 
tbe  trutb  wbicb  be  delivers  to  otbers.  He  may 
bind  as  many  burdens  as  be  pleases  upon  tbe 
sboulders  of  otber  men,  but  tbey  will  easily  cast 
tbem  off  if  be  assume  none  of  tbem  himself 
Wbat  effect  can  be  produced  by  an  babitual 
drunkard  lecturing  on  intemperance ;  or  a  grasping 
miser  'discoursing  on  cbarity ;  or  a  profligate  de- 
baucbee  setting  fortb  tbe  praises  of  purity  ?  We 
must  make  it  evident  tbat  we  abbor  tbe  sins 
wbicb  we  denounce,  and  strive  after  tbe  excellen- 
ces wbicb  we  inculcate,  or  our  teachings  will  be 
not  merely  powerless,  tbey  will  be  odious  and 
offensive. 

But  to  illustrate  my  meaning  by  example.  Tbe 
minister  of  tbe  gospel  teacbes  tbe  vanity  of  every- 
thing earthly  and  temporal,  in  comparison  with 
those  things  eternal  in  the  heavens;  but  bis 
preaching  will  be  powerless,  if,  practically,  he  sets 


MINISTERIAL  EXAMPLE.  195 

the  same  value  upon  things  sublunary  as  those 
who  profess  to  be  living  for  this  world  alone.  He 
may  preach  on  the  dangers  of  wealth,  and  how 
hard  it  is  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  but  his  preaching  will  avail  little  if  h,e 
is  as  grasping  at  a  bargain,  as  eager  to  accumulate, 
as  ready  to  move  in  any  direction  at  the  offer  of  a 
larger  salary,  as  men  who  profess  to  be  governed 
by  nothing  but  the  love  of  gain.  He  may  dis- 
course forcibly  on  the  corrupting  influence  of 
place  and  power  and  station,  but  it  will  all  be 
useless  if  it  is  observed  that  he  is  himself  eager 
after  positions  of  ecclesiastical  influence,  never 
tired  of  hearing  his  own  voice  at  public  meetings, 
striving  to  hold  the  first  place  among  his  brethren, 
coveting  literary  reputation,  academical  distinc- 
tions, and  things  which  sensible  men  would  be 
ashamed  to  aspire  after.  He  may  preach  most 
movingly  on  the  universal  duty  of  consecrating  all 
that  we  possess  to  the  service  of  Christ,  but  it  will 
come  home  to  no  one's  conscience  if  it  be  observed 
that  he  habitually  pleads  his  oflfice  as  a  reason 
why  he  should  escape  the  ordinary  sacrifices  de- 
manded of  his  brethren.  He  may  powerfully  insist 
upon  making  everything  subsidiary  to  the  great 
life-work  of  saving  souls,  and  may  show  that  we 
have  no  right  to  spend  an  hour  of  our  time  or  a 
dollar  of  our  money  without  asking  whether  we 


196  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

have  the  permission  of  the  Master;  but  the  effect 
of  this  preacliing  will  be  small  if,  no  matter  what 
is  the  condition  of  his  jjarish,  he  always  has  leisure 
for  a  journey  of  pleasure,  a  trip  to  Europe,  or  a 
visit  to  a  watering-place.  He  may  discourse  with 
great  soundness  of  judgment  on  the  duty  of 
Christian  parents  to  bring  up  their  children  in  the 
nurture  of  the  Lord,  but  it  will  be  all  labor  in 
vain  if  he  allows  his  family  in  every  indulgence 
which  his  means  will  any  way  admit,  and  if  it  be 
observed  that  he  is  fir  more  anxious  to  see  them 
rich,  powerful,  and  applauded,  than  humble,  de- 
vout, pious,  and  self-denying.  "When  such  incon- 
sistencies exist,  the  people  hear  his  words,  and 
look  upon  his  example;  they  may  obey  the  one, 
or  follow  the  other.  Which  will  they  choose?  I 
need  not  answer  the  question.  The  religious  char- 
acter of  a  people  whose  minister  preaches  the 
truth  ever  so  eloquently  from  the  pulpit,  but 
whose  conduct  out  of  the  pulpit  is  at  direct 
variance  with  all  that  he  inculcates,  will  furnish 
all  the  reply  that  is  necessary. 

I  am,  yours,  truly. 


LETTER    X. 

PERSONAL  EXPLANATION.  —  CONCLUSION. 

My  Dear  Brother  : 

'ITT'ERE  I  writing  for  you  alone,  I  should  con- 
^  ^  sider  my  task  completed.  But  as  you  re- 
quested me  to  write  for  the  public,  and  as  these 
pages  may  meet  other  eyes  than  yours,  a  few 
words,  at  the  close,  not  for  you,  but  for  others, 
seem  to  me  to  be  almost  indispensable.  At  any 
rate,  I  feel  it  due  to  myself  to  add  some  sugges- 
tions which  I  have  reserved  for  the  close,  as  they 
can  be  more  appropriately  introduced  here  than- 
in  any  other  place. 

It  will  very  naturally  be  asked.  Were  you  your- 
self ever  such  a  minister  as  you  urge  us  to  be  ? 
You  tell  us  that  our  lives  must  illustrate  our 
teaching.  Was  your  practice  such  as  your  teach- 
ing prescribes? 

I  might,  perhaps,  suggest  that  this  is  a  matter, 
not  of  individual,  but  of  universal  concernment. 
The  true  question  is.  Do  these  evils  exist,  and 
ought  they  to  be  removed ;  and  not  whether  they 


198  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

lie  at  the  door  of  any  particular  individual.  I 
might  have  easily  avoided  this  question  by  pub- 
lishing what  I  have  written  anonymously;  but  I 
chose  not  to  do  it.  I  preferred  to  publish  under 
my  own  name,  and  bear  to  the  full  whatever 
odium  may  attach  to  making  known  what  I  con- 
sider to  be  important  truths.  If  I  have  not  lived 
as  it  becomes  a  Christian  minister,  I  deserve  to 
be  blamed  for  it  as  much  as  any  of  my  brethren ; 
and  I  would  humbly  bear  the  rebuke  to  which  my 
conduct  justly  exposes  me. 

If  I  am  asked  how  I  discharged  my  duty  as  a 
pastor,  the  question  is  susceptible  of  tw^o  distinct 
answers:  the  first  from  the  jjeople  to  whom  I 
ministered,  and  the  second  from  my  own  con- 
sciousness in  the  sight  of  God.  The  portion  of 
my  life  devoted  directly  to  pastoral  duty  is  not 
large.  I  was  for  five  years  pastor  of  the  First  Bap- 
tist Church  in  Boston.  So  far  as  the  eye  of  man 
can  discover,  they  know  my  walk  and  conversa- 
tion. Of  those  to  whom  I  then  ministered  the 
greater  part  have  fallen  asleep  ;  but  enough  of 
them  remain  at  this  present  to  testify  in  what 
respects  I  did  or  did  not  perform  my  duties  as 
pastor  among  them ;  and  I  know  of  no  reason 
Avhy  they  should  not  testify  truly.  I  think 'they 
will  bear  witness,  at  least,  that  I  left  them  a  happy, 
harmonious,  and  loving  band  of  Christian    disci- 


^      PERSONAL  EXPLANATION.— CONCLUSION.       199 

pies,  and  such  they  have  remained  until  the  pres- 
ent day.  Of  the  extent  and  depth  of  their  attach- 
ment to  me  I  had  no  conception  until  I  had  prom- 
ised to  enter  another  sphere  of  labor.  Had  I 
known  of  it  sooner,  I  should  probably  have  been 
their  pastor  to-day. 

Turning  away,  however,  from  man's  opinion  of 
my  pastorate,  and  reviewing  it  in  the  sight  of  a 
holy  and  omniscient  God,  I  must  humble  myself  in 
the  dust,  as  one  of  his  most  unprofitable  servants. 
I  do  not  accuse  myself  of  indolence,  or  a  disposi- 
tion to  shrink  from  any  labor  that  came  upon  me 
as  a  pastor.  I  was  moved  to  action  by  a  feeling 
of  responsibility  and  by  a  dogged  sense  of  duty  that 
carried  me  through  my  work  when  my  health  was 
feeble,  and,  to  many  persons,  seemed  declining.  It 
was  not  in  the  amount,  but  in  the  kind  of  labor  that 
I  was  greatly  deficient.  Circumstances  which  it 
would  be  needless  to  mention  excited  in  me  an  am- 
bition for  scholarship  and  literary  reputation.  Thus, 
though  I  hope  I  avoided  trifling  in  the  pulpit, 
my  preparation  for  the  Sabbath  came  to  be  more 
of  an  intellectual  than  a  moral  exercise.  In  the 
mean  time  my  brethren  assigned  me  important 
duties  in  connection  with  missions  and  education, 
which  soon  demanded  a  large  portion  of  my  time. 
While  I  was  thus  continually  occupied,  my  labor 
tended  to  draw  me  away  from  my  own  heart,  and 


200  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

from  effort  for  the  spiritual  good  of  my  people.  I 
had  little  time  for  reading  the  word  of  God  and 
cultivating  devout  communion  with  my  Saviour. 
My  mind  became  secularized,  and  I  wandered  far 
from  God.  When  I  think  how  unfaithfully  I  did 
the  work  of  an  ambassador  of  Christ,  and  how  far 
I  departed  from  him,  I  wonder  at  the  compassion 
that  bore  with  me,  and  condescended  to  give  me 
any,  even  the  least,  success. 

During  the  latter  part  of  my  ministry,  I  was 
painfully  conscious  of  my  condition,  and  was  thor- 
oughly dissatisfied  with  myself  I  had,  before 
God,  undertaken  the  care  of  the  souls  of  my  peo- 
ple, and  this  was  the  only  ground  on  which  I 
received  from  them  my  support.  They  had  a 
right  to  my  whole  time,  and  I  gave  them  but  a 
part  of  it ;  by  far  the  greater  part  was  given  to 
business,  which,  though  relating  to  the  affairs  of 
our  denomination,  had  nothing  to  do  with  their 
spiritual  welfare.  I  saw  that,  without  I  gave  up 
everything  but  my  pastoral  duty,  I  could  not  act 
justly  to  my  people;  but  how  to  do  this  I  did 
not  see  possible.  Under  these  circumstances,  I 
accepted  a  position  in  a  college,  with  the  expecta- 
tion of  soon  returning  to  the  ministry,  to  com- 
mence it  under  different  auspices.  This  expecta- 
tion was  not,  however,  to  be  realized.  I  was  soon 
called  to  another  service  in  the  work  of  education, 
which  I  occupied  for  nearly  thirty  years. 


^ 


PERSONAL  EXPLANATION.— CONCLUSION.       20l 

In  thus  exchanging  the  ministry  for  the  woj-k  of 
education,  though  I  acted  with  the  sanction  of  all 
my  brethren,  I  think  I  erred.  It  was  wrong  to 
place  anything  in  comparison  with  the  work  of 
saving  souls.  Had  I  been  more  solemnly  devoted 
to  the  labor  to  which  the  Master  appointed  me,  I 
should  have  escaped  this  error.  During  my  min- 
istry in  Boston,  I  contracted  the  habit  of  writing 
and  reading  my  sermons.  Though  I  did  this  at 
the  suggestion  of  my  j)eople,  I  consider  it  as  one 
of  the  great  errors  of  my  life.  This  error  I  should 
have  escaped  if  I  had  thought  more  of  moral 
preparation  for  the  pulpit,  if  my  mind  had  been 
more  habitually  devout,  and  I  had  cultivated  a 
more  humble  reliance  on  the  Spirit  of  God.  But 
why  should  I  recall  the  incidents  of  a  life  full  of 
mistakes  and  moral  imperfections?  It  may,  per- 
haps, be  sufficient  to  say,  that,  if  I  have  any  knowl- 
edge of  the  faults  of  the  ministry,  the  germs,  at 
least,  of  that  knowledge  have  been  derived  from 
my  own  painful  experience. 

When,  a  few  years  since,  I  was  called  tempo- 
rarily  to  the  exercise  of  the  jDastoral  office,  I  en- 
deavored in  some  measure  to  obey  the  precepts 
w^hich  I  have  here  inculcated  upon  others.  I  at 
once  laid  aside  every  other  labor,  and  confined  my 
reading  almost  exclusively  to  the  Bible  and  to 
works  on  devotional  or  practical  religion.     To  the 


202  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

measare  of  my  physical  ability,  I  preached  the 
gospel,  both  publicly  and  from  house  to  house, 
seeking  to  hold  personal  conversation  on  the  sub- 
ject of  religon,  as  fir  as  it  was  possible,  with  every 
member  of  the  whole  congregation.  The  Lord  in 
mercy  gave  me  such  success  as  seemed  good  to 
him ;  and  though  my  imperfections  were  many  and 
my  practice  fell  very  far  short  of  my  duty  as  a 
minister,  I  can  truly  say  that  no  part  of  my  minis- 
terial life  was  so  full  of  enjoyment  as  this,  and 
upon  no  part  of  it  do  I  look  back  with  so  much 
satisfaction.  I  do  firmly  believe  that,  to  gain  vic- 
tory over  one's  self,  over  the  love  of  reputation, 
position,  or  emolument,  to  consider  all  things  but 
loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ 
Jesus  our  Lord,  and  in  the  face  of  all  men  to 
preach  simply  what  the  word  of  God  teaches,  to 
preach  that  only,  and  to  do  this  day  after  day,  no 
matter  what  men  may  think  of  us,  is  the  only 
way  to  secure  a  happy  and  successful  ministry,  to 
be  joyful  in  our  own  souls,  from  the  presence  of 
Christ  abiding  in  us,  and  at  last  to  hear  his  voice, 
"Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant,  enter  thou 
into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord ! " 

And  now,  having  made  my  confession,  and 
jDlaced  myself  in  the  condition  of  the  most  erring 
of  my  brethren,  accepting  the  rebukes  which  my 
faults  as  a  minister  deserve,  I  may,  with  the  greater 


PERSONAL  EXPLANATION.— CONCLUSION.      203 

boldness,  make  my  final  appeal  to  the  ambassadors 
of  Christ.  I  pray  God  that  I  may  write  every 
word  in  his  fear,  and  if  in  anything  I  violate 
the  spirit  of  Christian  love,  I  may  find  mercy  in 
the  day  when  the  secrets  of  all  hearts  shall  be 
made  manifest. 

We  are,  in  this  country,  living  at  a  period  in 
which  every  external  obstacle  to  the  progress  of 
religion  has  been  removed.  Liberty  of  speech 
and  of  the  press  is  inviolate.  Men  speak  and  write 
their  opinions,  on  all  subjects,  with  unrestrained 
boldness.  There  is  nothing  to  prevent  us  from  dis- 
cijjling  the  whole  nation  to  Christ.  The  Bible  is 
open  to  all,  and  efibrts  are  incessant  to  furnish 
every  family  in  our  land  with  a  copy  of  it.  The 
State  is  sparing  neither  labor  nor  expense  to  enable 
every  child  born  among  us  to  read  it.  The  sum 
annually  spent  for  the  maintenance  of  external 
worship  is  very  great.  Magnificent  churches  are 
erected  in  our  cities  and  villages,  and  the  amounts 
required  for  carrying  on  very  expensive  accessories 
to  worship  are  liberally  provided.  Seminaries, 
which  gratuitously  furnish  a  costly  education  to 
all,  and,  in  some  cases,  board  and  lodging  to  the 
indigent,  are  established  by  every  denomination 
of  Christians.  Never  before  had  Christianity  so 
fair  .an  opportunity  to  subdue  all  things  to  obedi- 
ence to  Christ  as  in  these  United  States.    Besides 


204  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

all  this,  this  is,  in  a  special  manner,  a  land  of  Sab- 
baths. One  day  in  seven  is  set  apart  for  the  wor- 
ship of  God,  and  this  day  ministers  have  all  to  them- 
selves. They  may  occupy  as  much  of  this  time 
as  they  please  in  making  known  to  us  our  duty  to 
God  and  our  neighbor,  as  it  has  been  revealed  to 
US  by  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  It  would 
seem  that  w^e  must  be  a  very  religious,  and,  of 
course,  a  very  moral  people,  well  acquainted  with 
the  oracles  of  God,  and  thoroughly  inclined  to 
reduce  them  to  practice. 

And  now,  what  is  the  actual  result  of  all  this? 
What  is  the  spectacle  which  this  nation  at  this  mo- 
ment presents  to  the  world !  A  million  or  more 
of  our  citizens  are  engaged  in  mutual  slaughter! 
Hundreds  of  thousands  have  already  fallen  by  the 
sword  and  by  the  diseases  incident  to  camps.  Of 
this  million  of  men  the  greater  part  have  been 
hearers  of  the  gospel ;  and  all  this  sacrifice  has 
been  rendered  necessary  in  order  to  maintain  the 
best  government  that  God  has  ever  bestowed  upon 
man. 

Again,  in  this  country,  intelligence  is  more 
widely  diffused  than  in  any  nation  on  earth. 
We  choose  our  own  rulers ;  we  are  the  sovereigns 
in  whom  rests  exclusively  the  appointing  power. 
If  our  public  officers  are  not  good  men,  we  have 
no  one  to  blame  but  ourselves.     If  the  professors 


PERSONAL  EXPLANATION.— CONCLUSION.      205 

of  religion  chose  to  act  on  the  principles  of  their 
Master,  and  consider  citizenship  as  a  responsibility 
for  which  they  must  give  account,  they  would 
easily,  without  any  formal  organization,  control 
this  nation.  But  what  do  we  find  to  be  the  fact  ? 
The  people,  as  is  always  the  case  in  free  govern- 
ments, are  divided  into  two  parties ;  but  that  po- 
litical party  is  yet  to  arise  which  will  not  sacrifice 
right  to  what  it  considers  expediency,  and  which 
will  not  tolerate  any  wrong  when  it  is  supposed 
that  the  interests  of  the  party  require  it.  Yet,  in 
the  ranks  of  one  or  other  of  these  parties  religious 
men  are  found  by  the  wholesale,  aiding  and  abet- 
ting what  they  know  to  be  wrong,  if  they  suppose 
it  will  ensure  a  majority  of  votes  at  the  coming 
election ;  a  majority  of  votes,  perhaps,  to  be  given 
to  a  man  who  has  no  single  moral  attribute  to  en- 
title him  to  a  suffrage.  Thus  is  the  religious  influ- 
ence of  the  professors  of  religion  reduced  to  noth- 
ing. The  maxim  seems  to  be  adopted  —  religion  is 
one  thing,  and  politics  another;  as  though  men 
could  carve  out  a  jDortion  of  their  lives  over  yvhich 
God  should  have  no  control,  and  which  he  would 
never  bring  into  judgment.  And  what  is  the  re- 
sult ?  The  most  sagacious  observer  that  ever  vis- 
ited this  country  was  profoundly  astonished  to  see 
how  large  was  the  number  of  able  men  out  of  office, 
and  how  small  was  the  number  in  office.     But  we 


206  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

need  not  the  testimony  of  foreigners  on  this  sub- 
ject. Enter  the  halls  of  our  national  legislature, 
and  who  is  not  sick  at  heart  while  reflecting  that 
into  such  hands  the  destinies  of  this  country  have 
been  committed  ?  Has  not  Washington  become 
the  theatre  for  the  display  of  the  most  odious  of 
human  passions,  the  chosen  seat  of  corruption,  in- 
temperance, and  venality  ?  And  all  this  is  done 
under  the  full  light  of  the  pure  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ.  For  this  the  professors  of  religion  are,  at 
the  bar  of  God,  greatly  responsible. 

Again,  observe  the  flood  of  intemperance  that 
deluges  the  land,  sweeping  away  men  in  every  po- 
sition of  life,  bringing  disgrace  upon  our  public 
counsels,  and  hurrying  the  masses  by  hundreds  of 
thousands  to  an  untimely  grave.  It  is  in  the  power 
of  the  followers  of  Christ,  by  wise  and  just  legis- 
lation, but  especially  by  precept  and  example,  to 
arrest  this  evil.  But  it  is  not  arrested.  We  make 
a  movement  in  this  direction  every  few  years,  when 
some  political  end  is  to  be  secured,  but  when  this 
occasion  passes  away  it  is  all  over.  Are  Chris- 
tians, in  this  matter,  the  salt  of  the  earth  ? 

Again,  the  common  maxims  of  trade  are  con- 
fessed to  be  very  unlike  the  laws  of  Christ ;  indeed, 
so  unlike  as  to  be  utterly  at  variance  with  them. 
But  do  Christian  men  of  business  so  obey  the  laws 
of  Christ  that  they  form  a  class  by  themselves, 


PERSONAL  EXPLANATION.— CONCLUSION.      207 

turning  with  abhorrence  from  everything  false  or 
dishonest  or  treacherous  or  mean  ?  Or  do  they 
assimilate  themselves  with  the  men  about  them, 
under  the  plea  that  unless  they  do  as  others  do 
they  can  never  grow  rich  ?  And  after  they  have 
grown  rich,  what  is  the  difference  in  the  manner 
of  expenditure  of  wealth  between  him  who  pro- 
fesses to  fear  God  and  him  who  fears  him  not?  Do 
not  both  bow  down  to  the  same  idols,  and  sacrifice 
without  stint  to  sensuality,  luxury,  and  ostenta- 
tion? I  might  extend  to  almost  any  length  this 
catalogue  of  our  national  sins  by  reference  to  the 
vices  which  we  annually  import  from  the  licentious 
capitals  of  Europe.  But  the  subject  is  too  painful. 
I  forbear. 

The  question  that  arises  here  is.  Who  is  to  blame 
for  all  this?  Can  we  escape  the  conclusion  that  a 
large  share  of  it  rests  upon  ourselves  ?  Have  we, 
as  ambassadors  of  Christ,  made  known  to  men,  in 
all  plainness,  earnestness,  and  solemnity,  the  law 
of  God  in  all  its  exceeding  broadness  ?  Have  we 
brouofht  this  law  home  to  men's  business  and  bo- 
soms,  that  they  might  see  clearly  wherein  they  have 
violated  it;  or  have  we  weakly  forborne  to  tell  the 
truth  for  fear  of  giving  offence  ?  Have  we  made 
known  this  law  with  all  its  tremendous  sanctions, 
or  have  we  so  glozed  over  the  truth  that  no  one 
would  from  our  preaching  suppose  that  he  was  in 


208  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

any  particular  clanger  ?  Have  we  clearly  discerned 
between  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  or  have  we 
taken  it  for  granted  that  every  one  who  says,  Lord  ! 
Lord !  shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ? 
Have  we,  with  all  plainness,  delivered  "'the  mes- 
sage which  we  have  heard  from  him,  that  God  is 
light,  and  in  him  there  is  no  darkness  at  all ; "  and 
"that  if  we  say  that  we  have  fellowship  with  him 
and  walk  in  darkness,  we  lie,  and  do  not  the  truth  "? 
Have  we  preached  clearly  that,  no  matter  what 
may  be  our  experiences,  "  this  is  the  love  of  God, 
that  we  keep  his  commandments  "  ?  Have  we  im- 
pressed it  upon  men  that  our  hope  of  heaven  is  all 
a  fallacy  unless  we  are  ready  to  obey  Christ  in  all 
things,  though  it  cost  us  the  surrender  of  human 
applause,  the  riches  of  the  world,  and  expose  us  to 
persecution,  reproach,  nay,  death  itself;  and  do  we 
thus  obey  him  ?  Have  we  not  all  sinned  in  this 
respect,  and  become  guilty  of  our  brother's  blood  ? 
I  confess,  with  shame,  that  in  all  these  things  I  have 
greatly  failed  in  my  duty.  Is  it  not  so  with  you? 
If  the  awful  chastisement  which  is  now  laid  upon 
our  country  for  our  sins  is  in  any  respect  owing  to 
our  unfaithfulness,  how  great  must  be  our  guilt, 
and  how  fearful  our  responsibility !  Words  are  in- 
adequate to  express  the  solemnity  of  our  position. 
Let  each  one  apply  the  oracles  of  God  honestly  to 
his  own  conscience,  and  he  will  feel  what  words 
cannot  utter. 


PERSONAL  EXPLANATION.— CONCLUSION.      209 

What,  then,  is  to  be  done  ?  The  past  cannot  be 
recalled.  The  results  of  our  unfaithfulness  have, 
for  the  most  j^art,  passed  before  us  into  eternity. 
The  present  is  still  with  us,  and  now  is  the  day  of 
salvation.  Let  us  all  confess  our  sins  to  our  people, 
and  especially  to  Almighty  God.  Let  us  plead* 
that  atoning  blood  vvLich  cleanseth  from  all  sin. 
Here  is  our  only  hope  of  j^ardon.  It  is  yet  a  faith- 
ful saying,  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that 
Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners  ; 
and  let  us  do  works  meet  for  repentance.  In  spite 
of  sneers  and  obloquy  and  reproach,  let  us  declare 
the  whole  counsel  of  God.  Let  us  cast  away  all 
desire  of  reputation  for  scholarship,  all  love  of  dis- 
tinction, and  be  content  to  preach  the  simple  truths 
of  the  New  Testament  in  all  their  breadth  and 
length,  whether  men  will  hear  or  whether  they  will 
forbear.  While  doing  all  this,  let  us  in  humble 
faith  rely  upon  the  aid  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  which 
is  promised  everywhere  to  accompany  the  truth  as 
it  is  in  Jesus.  We  are  nothing,  and  can  do  nothing ; 
but  when  we  faithfully -utter  the  truth  of  God,  he 
can  do  everything.  Oh,  what  a  reformation  would 
follow  such  a  baptism  of  the  Spirit  among  the  min- 
isters of  Christ !  Our  country  would  fall  down 
before  God  in  humble  penitence,  confessing  its 
sins  and  pleading  for  pardon  through  the  atone- 
ment of  Christ.  The  chastening  of  God  would 
14 


210  MINISTRY  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

have  accomplished  its  purpose,  and  he  would  re- 
store to  us  the  blessings  of  peace  on  the  principles 
of  righteousness,  which  we  by  our  sins  have  for- 
feited. Out  of  the  infinite  misery  of  this  fearful 
contest,  he  would,  in  his  own  way,  cause  such  an 
improvement  in  national  character  as  should  be 
more  than  a  compensation  for  all  that  we  have 
suffered.  We  should  still  be  a  day-star  to  the  na- 
tions in  darkness,  the  hope  of  those  struggling  for 
civil  and  religious  freedom.  God  would  be  mer- 
ciful to  us,  and  bless  us,  that  his  way  might  be 
known  upon  earth,  his  saving  health  among  all 
nations.  The  Lord  hasten  it  in  his  time,  and  to 
his  name  shall  be  the  glory. 

Yours,  very  truly. 


S/^e    6nb. 


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SACRED  RHETORIC :  Or,  Composition  and  Delivery  of 
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THE  CHRISTIAN  WORLD  UNMASKED.  By  Johk 
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DR.   AVILLIAMS'S     WORKS 


RELIGIOUS  PROGRESS  ;  Discourses  on  the  Development 
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and  glowing,  impressive  language  than  he.  — Dr.  Spkaguk,  Albany  Atlas. 

This  book  is  a  rare  phenomenon  in  these  days.  It  is  a  rich  exposition  of  Scripture, 
Vith  a  fund  of  practical  religious  wisdom,  conveyed  in  a  style  so  strong  and  massive 
as  to  remind  one  of  the  English  writers  of  two  centuries  ago  ;  and  yet  it  abounds  in 
fresh  illustrations  drawn  from  every  (even  the  latest  opened)  field  of  science  and  ofl 
literature.  -  Jlethodi^t  Qiiarttrhj.  f 

His  power  of  apt  illustration  is  without  a  parallel  among  modem  writers.  The 
mute  pages  spi-ing  into  life  beneath  the  magic  of  his  radiant  imagination,  but  never  at 
the  expense  of  solidity  of  thought  or  strength  of  argument.  —  Hai-pers'  Monthly. 

Every  page  radiant  with  ^' thoughts  that  burn,"  leave  their  indelible  impression 
upon  the  mind.-  N^.  Y.  Com.  Adv.  " 

The  strength  and  compactness  of  argumentation,  the  correctness  and  beauty  of 
8tyle,  and  the  inii^ortunce  of  the  animating  idea,  place  them  among  the  most  finished 
homiletic  productions  of  the  daj'.  —  N.  Y.  Evangelist. 

Dr.  AVilliiims  has  no  superior  among  American  divines.  He  seems  familiar  with 
the  literature  of  the  world,  and  lays  his  vast  resources  imder  contribution  to  illustrate 
and  adorn  every  theme  v/hich  he  investigates.  We  wish  the  volume  could  be  placed 
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LECTURES  ON  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.    Third  ed.   85c. 

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Imagery,  and  varied  learning,  have  made  their  writings  an  inexhaustible  mine  for 
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WKEATH  AEOUND    THE  CEOSS; 

Or  Scripture  Truths  Illustrated.     By  the  Rev.  A.  Morton 

Brown,  D.  D.     WitJi   a  Recommendatory  Preface,  by  John  Angell 

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land.  Its  great  excellence  is,  it  niaonifies  the  cross  of  Christ.  It  pjusents  the  ibllow- 
in^  interesting  subjects  :"  The  Cross  needed;  The  Way  to  the  Cross;  The  Crosa 
setup;  The  Sufibrings  of  the  Cross;  Mediation  by  the  Cross;  Life  from  the  Cross; 
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the  Crown."    No  better  book  can  be  put  into  the  hands  of  "  inquirers  after  truth." 

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A  highly-approved  work,  presenting  the  most  important  doctrines  of  our  holy  re- 
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faith,  and  hope,  to  the  glorious  objects  revealed  in  the  gospel.  —  PAJZ.  Ch.  Observer. 

PHILOSOPHY   OF  THE  PLAN   OF   SALVATION:    A 

Book  for  the  Times.    By  an  American  Citizen     An  Introductory 

Essay,  by  Calvin  E.  Stowe,  D.  D.     12mo,  cloth,  63  cts. 

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the  London  Tract  Society,  and  also  adopted  as  one  of  the  volumes  of  "  Ward's  Li- 
brary of  Standard  Divinity."  edited  by  Drs.  John  Harris,  J.  Pye  Smith,  and  others. 
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"  The  president  of  Knox  College,  Illinois,"  says,  "  It  is  decidedly  the  best  vindica-. 
tion  of  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  against  the  assaults  of  infidelity,  aud  one  of  the 
most  useful  class  books  which  I  have  ever  met." 

A  Welsh  minister,  in  Michigan,  says  "  It  has  been  translated  into  Welsh,  and  is  cir- 
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land."  li 


IMPORTANT    NEW    WORKS 


THE  CHRISTIAN  LIFE  :  Social  and  Individual.    By  Peteb 

Batne,  a.  M.    12mo  cloth.     $1.25. 

Contents.  Part  I.  — Statement.  The  Individual  Life  ;  the  Social  Life.  Part 
II. —  Exposition  and  Illustration.  First  Principles  ;  Howard,  and  the  rise  of 
Philanthropy ;  Wilbcrforce,  and  the  development  of  Philanthropy  ;  Budgett,  the 
Christian  Freeman  ;  the  social  problem  of  the  age,  and  one  or  two  hints  towards  ita 
solution  ;  Modern  Doubt ;  John  Foster  ;  Thomas  Arnold  ;  Thomas  Chalmers.  Part 
ni.  — Outlook.    Tlie  Positive  Philosopliy  ;  Pantheistic  Spiritualism. 

Particular  attention  is  invited  to  this  work.  Its  recent  publication  in  Scotland  pro- 
iuced  a  great  sensation.  Hugh  Miller  made  it  the  subject  of  an  elaborate  review  in 
his  paper,  the  Edinburgh  "  Witness,"  and  gave  his  readers  to  understand  that  it  was 
an  extraordinary  work.  The  "News  of  the  Churches,"  the  monthly  organ  of  the 
Scottish  Free  Cliurch,  was  equally  emphatic  in  its  praise,  pronouncing  it  "the  relig- 
ious book  of  the  season."  Strikingly  original  in  plan  and  brilliant  in  execution,  it  far 
surpasses  the  exp'^ctations  raised  by  the  somewhat  familiar  title.  It  is,  in  truth,  a 
bold  onslaught  (an  1  the  first  of  the  kind)  upon  the  Pantheism  of  Carlyle,  Fichte,  etc., 
by  an  ardent  admirer  of  Carlyle  ;  and  at  the  same  time  an  exhibition  of  the  Christian 
Life,  in  its  inner  principle,  and  as  illustrated  in  the  lives  of  Howard,  Wilberforce, 
Budgett,  Foster,  Chalmers,  etc.  The  brilliancy  and  vigor  of  the  author's  style  are 
remarkable. 

PATRIARCHY;  or,  The  Family:  its  Constitution  and 
Probation.  By  John  Hakris,  D.  D.,  President  of  "  New  College," 
London,  and  author  of  "  The  Great  Teacher,"  "  Mammon,"  etc. 
12mo,  cloth.     $1.25. 

The  public  are  here  presented  with  a  work  on  a  subject  of  universal  interest,  by 
one  of  the  most  able  and  popular  living  authors.  It  is  a  work  that  should  find  a  place 
in  every  familv,  containing,  as  it  does,  a  profound  and  eloquent  exposition  of  the 
ccnstitution,  laws,  and  history  of  the  Family,  as  well  as  much  important  instruction 
and  sound  advice,  touching  the  family,  family  government,  family  education,  etc., 
oi'the  present  time. 

This  is  the  third  and  last  of  a  series,  by  the  same  author,  entitled  "  Contributions 
to  Theological  Science."  The  plan  of  this  series  is  highly  original,  and  thus  far  has 
been  mest  successfully  executed.  Of  the  first  two  in  the  series,  "Pre- Adamite 
Earth,"  and  "  Man  Primeval,"  we  have  already  issued  four  and  five  editions,  and  the 
demand  still  continues.  The  immense  sale  of  all  Dr.  Harris's  works  attest  their  in- 
trinsic popularity. 

"  The  present  age  has  not  produced  his  superior  at  an  original,  stirring,  elegant 
writer."  — PniLADELi*ui A  Christian  Chronicle. 

GOD    REVEALED    IN    NATURE    AND    IN    CHRIST; 

Including  a  Kefutation  of  the  Development  Theory  contained  in  the 
•    '-Vestiges  of  the  Natural  History  of  Creation."      By  the  author  of 

"The  Philosopliy  of  the  Plan  of  Salvation."    12mo,  cloth.     g?1.25. 

The  author  of  that  remarkable  book,  "  The  Philosophy  of  the  Plan  of  Salvation," 
lias  devoted  several  j'ears  of  incessant  labor  to  the  preparation  of  this  work.  It  fur« 
nlshes  a  new,  and,  as  it  is  conceived,  a  conclusive  argument  against  the  "develop- 
ment theory"  so  ingeniously  maintained  in  the  "Vestiges  of  the  Natural  History  of 
Creation."  As  this  author  does  not  publish  except  when  he  has  something  to  say, 
there  is  good  reason  to  anticipate  that  the  work  will  be  one  of  unusual  interest  and 
Tjlue.  His  former  book  has  met  with  the  most  signal  success  in  both  hemispheres, 
having  passed  through  numerous  editions  in  England  and  Scotland,  and  been  trans- 
lated into  four  of  the  European  languages  besides-  V  Uilso  about  to  be  translated 
into  the  Hindostanee  tongue.  (ju^ 


VALUABLE    WORKS 


TlIE  SUFFERING  SAVIOUR  ;  or,  Meditations  on  thb 
Last  Days  ok  Christ.  Bj-  Fred.  W.  Krummachek,  D.D.,  Chap- 
lain to  the  King  of  Prussia,  and  author  of"  Elijah  the  Tishbite,"  etc. 
Translated  under  the  express  sanction  of  the  author,  by  Samuel 
Jackson.    12mo,  cloth.    $1.25. 

The  style  of  the  author  need  not  be  described  to  those  who  have  read  his  'Elijah  ; 
and  whoever  has  not  read  an  evangelical  book  of  onr  own  time  that  has  passed  through 
many  editions  in  German,  English,  French,  Dutch,  Danish,  had  better  order  the 
Chinese  edition,  which  has  recently  appeared.  *  *  *  We  like  the  book  — love 
it,  rather  —  for  the  vivid  perception  and  fervid  emotion  with  which  it  brings  us  to 
the  Suffering  Saviour."  — New  York  Independent. 

"  Krummacher  is  himself  again  !  Till  the  present  work  appeared,  he  had  done 
nothing  equal  to  his  first  one,  '  Elijah,  the  Tishbite.'  In  the  present  he  comes  upon 
the  literary  firmament  in  his  old  fire  and  glory,  '  like  a  re-appearing  star.'  The  trans- 
lator has  done  his  work  admirably.  *  *  *  Much  of  the  narrative  is  given  with  thril- 
ling vividness,  and  pathos,  and  beauty.  ^larking  as  we  proceeded,  several  passages 
for  quotation,  we  found  them  in  the  end  so  numerous,  that  we  must  refer  the  reader 
to  the  work  itself."  — News  of  the  Churcues  (Scottish). 

THE  PROGRESS  OF  BAPTIST  PRINCIPLES  IN  THE 
LAST  HUNDRED  YEARS.  By  T.  F.  Curtis,  Professor  of  Theol- 
ogy in  Lewisburg  University,  Pa.    12mo,  cloth.    $1.25. 

This  work  is  divided  into  three  books.  The  first  exhibits  the  progress  of  Baptist 
Principles,  now  conceeded  in  theory  by  the  most  enlighted  of  other  denominations. 

The  second  presents  a  view  of  the  progress  of  principles  still  controverted. 

The  third  sets  forth  the  progress  of  principles  always  held  by  evangelical  Chris- 
tians, but  more  consistentlj'  by  Baptists. 

It  is  a  work  that  invites  the  candid  consideration  of  all  denomitions.  The  aim  has 
been  to  draw  a  wide  distinction  between  parties  and  opinions.  Hence  the  object  of 
this  volume  is  not  to  exhibit  or  defend  the  Baptists,  but  their  principles." 

"  The  principles  referred  to  are  such  as  these  :  Freedom  of  conscience  and  Sepa- 
ration of  Church  and  State  ;  a  Converted  Church  Membership  ;  Sacraments  inoper- 
ative without  Choice  and  Faith  ;  Belie\crs  the  only  Scriptural  Subjects  of  Baptism  ; 
Immersion  always  the  Baptism  of  the  New  Testament ;  Infant  Baptism  Injurious  ; 
Open  Communion  Unwise  and  Injurious.  To  show  the  progress  of  these  principles, 
statistics  are  given,  from  which  we  learn  that  in  1792  there  was  but  one  Baptist  Com- 
municant in  the  United  States  to  every  fifty-six  inhabitants,  while  in  1854  there  was 
one  to  every  thirty  inhabitants.  Tne  Baptists  have  more  than  one  quarter  of  the 
whole  Church  accommodation  in  the  United  States.  *  *  *  The  entire  work  is  writ- 
ten with  ability  and  unfailing  good  temper."— Quarterly  Journal  American 
Unitarian  Association. 

"  The  good  temper  of  the  author  of  this  volume  is  obvious  ;  the  method  of  arrang- 
ing his  materials  for  eifect  admirable."  — Preskyterian. 

"  "We  know  of  no  man  in  our  Churches  better  fitted  to  prepare  a  fair  exhibition  of 
'Baptist  Principles.'  He  is  no  controversialirt  ;  and  his  discussions  are  in  most 
refreshing  contrast  with  many,  both  of  Baptist  defenders  and  their  opponents."  — 
SouTHERTr  Baptist. 

"  The  work  exhibits  ample  learning,  vigorous  argumentative  power,  and  an  excel- 
lent spirit  toward  those  whose  views  it  controverts.  Apart  from  its  theological  bear- 
ings, it  possesses  not  a  little  historical  interest."—  N.  Y.  Tribune. 

"  The  aim  of  the  work  is  important,  the  plan  ingenious,  j'ct  simple  and  natural, 
the  author's  preparation  for  it  apparently  thorough  and  conscientious,  and  his  spirit 
excellent."'— Watchman  and  Reflectob.  (r) 


CHMSTIAN'S     DAILY     TEEASUEY. 

A  RELIGIOUS  EXERCISE  FOR  EVERY  DAT   IN  THE  TEAR. 

By  E.  Temple,  author  of  the  "  Domestic  Altar.'"     A  new  and 

improved  edition.     12nio,  cloth,  $1,00. 

1^-  A  work  for  every  Christian.     It  is  indeed  a  "  Treasury  "  of  good  tilings. 

If  any  book  of  modern  date  deserves  a  second  and  a  third  commendation,  it  ia 
this.  We  wish  most  heartilj^  that  this  volume  were  the  daily  companion  of  every 
disciple  of  Christ,  in  the  land.  Could  no  other  copy  be  obtained,  we  would  not  part 
with  our  own  for  ten  times  the  cost  of  it.  —  Congreyationalist. 

Materials  for  reflection  and  m 
with  God.  —  Puritan  Recorder. 

It  should  be  on  the  table  and  read  by  every  Christian.  —  Ch.  Times. 

It  differs  from  any  thing  we  have  met  with.  The  author  has  a  most  happy  tal« 
ent  at  conveying  much  important  truth  in  a  few  words.  It  is  an  admirable  work; 
worthy  to  be  read  by  every  Christian  and  studied  by  every  minister.  —  Dr.  Spragite, 
Albany  Atlas 

A  useful  evangelical  volume,  designed  to  assist  Christians  in  the  work  of  daily 
meditation  on  the  divine  word.  -  Christian  Herald. 

A  grand  work  for  the  centre  table  of  every  Christian,  or  for  the  most  private  place, 
where  they  hold  communion  with  the  Invisible.  —Albany  Ch.  Spectator. 

It  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  kind  that  we  have  ever  examined.  It  is  a  treasury  of 
evangelical  trutli  forcibly  expres'sed,  well  adapted  to  awaken  thought.  —  Phil.  Ck.  Ob. 

This  work  might  appropriately  be  called  a  guide  to  meditation.  Many  do  not  know 
how  to  meditate  A  careful  use  of  this  volume,  will  do  very  much  to  form  habits  of 
profitable  meditation. —  P/iiZ.  Ch   Chronicle. 

Were  these  "  Exercises  "  less  animated  and  life  like  we  might  call  them  skeletons  ; 
but  skeletons  have  not  flesh  and  blood,  as  the  reader  finds  these  to  have.  We  prefer 
them  to  any  thing  of  the  kind  we  have  seen.  —  Dover  Star. 

This  is  a  precious  compendium  of  pious  reflections,  upon  happily-selected  Scrip- 
tures. It  is  superior  to  the  numerous  works  of  this  character  alrendj'  publislied,  mid 
will  afford  pleasure  and  profit  to  tlie  minister,  and  private  Christian. —^-Iw.  Pulpit. 

We  give  it  our  most  decided  recommendation.  It  differs  from  the  generality  of 
works  of  a  somewhat  similar  style,  in  that  they  consist  of  reflections,  while  this  more 
particularly  fonns  the  outlines  or  materialu  for  reAectiuii  and  meditation.  —  Observer. 

There  is  no  volume  having  the  same  aim  as  this,  cnn  compare  with  it,  for  its  sug- 
gestive properties  and  comprehensiveness.  —  Ch.  Mirror. 

It  breathes  the  spirit  of  the  gospel.  It  is  eminently  suggestive  and  practical.  It 
deserves  a  place  in  every  Christians  library.  —  N.  Y.  Recorder. 

This  excellent  treasury  furnishes  rich,  practical,  and  devotional  instruction.  It  ifl 
well  to  feed  daily  on  such  spiritual  food.  —  K.  Y.  Ooscri-er.  ' 

A  treasure,  indeed,  to  any  one  who  will  study  its  daily  lessons.—  Ch.  Index. 

THE  IMITATION  OF  CHRIST.  By  Thomas  a  Kempis. 
Introductory  Essaj',  by  T  Chalmers,  D.  D.  New  improved  edition. 
Edited  by  the  Rev.  Howard  iMalcom,  D.  D.      18mo,  cloth,  38  cts. 

*,*  "  This  work  has,  for  three  hundred  years,  been  esteemed  one  of  the  best  prac- 
tical books  in  existence,  and  has  gone  through  a  vast  number  of  editions,  not  only 
in  the  original  Latin,  but  in  every  language  of  Europe.  Dr.  Payson,  once  said  to  a 
young  minister  "  If  you  have'not  seen  '  Thomas  a  Kemput,'  I  beg  you  to  procure  it. 
For  spirituality  and  weanedness  from  the  world.    I  know  of  nothing  equal  to  it." 

That  this  admirable  work  may  be  enjoyed  by  all,  the  translation  which  best  agree* 
with  the  original,  has  been  revised  and  adapted  to  use  by  Dr.  Malcom.      Mm 


WORKS   BY   JOHN   ANGELL   JAMES. 


THE  CHURCH  IN  EARNEST.     18mo,  cloth,  50  cts. 

Mr.  James's  w;itings  all  have  one  object,  to  do  execution.  He  writes  under  im- 
pulse —  "Do  something,  do  it."  He  aims  to  raise  the  standard  of  piety,  holiness  in 
the  heart,  and  holiness  of  life.  The  influence  of  this  work  must  be  higlily  salutary. 
—  Puritan  Recorder, 

Let  it  be  scattered  like  autumn  leaves.  We  believe  its  perusal  will  do  much  to 
convince  and  arouse  the  Christian.  The  reader  will  feel  that  he  is  called  into  the 
Church  of  Christ,  not  to  enjoy  only,  but  to  labor.  -  N.  Y  Recorder. 

Purchase  a  number  of  copies  of  this  work,  and  lend  them  and  keep  them  in  circu- 
lation till  they  are  worn  out .'  —  Mothers'  Assistant. 

Probably  no  writer  of  the  present  age  has  done  so  much  to  promote  the  interests  of 
vital  and  practical  religion  as  Mr.  James.  This  work  should  be  in  the  hands  of  every 
professor.  —  Congregational  Journal. 

A  more  important  work  could  not  be  presented  to  the  world.  -  Bap.  Memorial. 

This  new  work  of  Mr.  James  points  out  the  nature  and  effects  of  earnest  piety 
with  reference  to  individual  action  for  the  promotion  of  one's  personal  religion,  the 
salvation  of  others,  the  religion  of  the  family,  and  of  the  diurch.  No  time  should  bo 
lost  in  putting  it  into  the  bauds  of  church  members.  —  Ch.  Mirror,  Portland. 

"  Its  arguments  and  appeals  are  well  adapted  to  prompt  to  action.  We  trust  it  will 
be  universally  read."  —  N.  Y.  Observer. 

To  give  tlie  work  a  word  of  approbation,  were  but  a  poor  tribute.  It  should  re- 
ceive the  earnest  attention  of  Christians  of  every  name.  —  Southern  Lit.  Gazette. 

CHRISTIAN  PROGRESS  j  a  Sequel  to  «  The  Anxious  In- 
quirer after  Salvation,"     18mo,  cloth,  30  cts. 

None  of  the  works  of  James's  (all  of  them  of  uncommon  practical  excellence)  are 
better  calculated  for  circulation  amonfe  the  churches  than  this.  It  ought  to  be  sold 
by  hundreds  of  thousands,  until  every  church  member  in  the  land  has  bought,  read, 
marked,  learned,  and  inwardly  digested.  —  Congrcgationalist. 
To  every  lover  of  progressive  holiness,  we  commend  this  volume.  —  Ch.  Secretary. 
So  eminently  is  it  adapted  to  do  good,  that  we  feel  no  surprise  that  it  should  make 
oneof  the  pubUshers'  excellent  publications.  Itexhibits  the  whole  subject  of  growth 
in  grace  and  guards  the  young  Christian  against  many  mistakes,  into  which  he  is  in 
danger  of  falling.  —  Puritan  Recorder^ 

Mr.  James  has  rendered  himself  one  of  the  most  popular  and  useful  writers  of  the 
day.  —  Zion's  Advocate- 
It  is  written  as  a  sequel  to  the  anxious  inquirer,  "  whose  praise  is  in  all  the  chur- 
ahes."    The  subject  is  one  of  equal  importance,  and  the  author  addresses  himself 
with  characteristic  ardor  and  success  to  the  theme.  —  Southern  Baptist. 

CHURCH  MEMBER'S   GUIDE.     Edited  by   the  Rev.    J. 

Overton  Choules,  D.  D.    New  Edition.    With  an  Introductory  Es- 

Bay,  by  the  Rev.  Hubbard  Winslow.    Cloth,  33  cts. 

The  spontaneous  eflFusion  of  our  heart,  on  laying  the  book  down,  was,  —  may  erery 
church  member  in  our  land  possess  this  book.  —  Christian  Secretary. 

A  pastor  writes,  "  I  sincerely  wish  that  every  professor  of  religion  in  the  land  may 
possess  this  excellent  manual.  I  am  anxious  that  every  member  of  ray  churcb 
should  possess  it,  and  shall  be  happy  to  promote  its  circulation."         KIs 


NEW    WORKS 


THE  BETTER  LAND;   or,  The  Believeh'3  Jouhnet  A?a> 
FuTCTRE  Home.    By  Rev.  A.  C  Thompson.    12mo,  cloth.    85  cents. 

CoNTKN'TS.  —  The  rilgrim-ige  ;  Clusters  of  Eschol  ;  Waymarks  ;  Glimpses  of  the 
Lan,\  ;  'Die  Passage  ;  The  Recognition  of  Friends  ;  The  Heavenly  Banquet ;  Chil- 
dren in  Heaven  ;  Societj-  of  Angels  ;  Society  of  the  S.iviour  ;  Heavenly  Honor  and 
Riches  ;  No  Tears  in  Heaven  ;  Holiness  of  Heaven  ;  Activity  in  Heaven  ;  Resurrec- 
tion Body  ;  Perpetuity  of  Bliss  in  Heaven. 

A  most  charming  and  instructive  book  for  all  now  journeying  to  the  "  Better  Land." 

THE  SCHOOL  OF  CHRIST;   or,  Christia^nity  viewed  in 
ITS  LEADiNa  Aspects.     By  the  Rev.  A.  L.  R.  Foote,  author  of 
*'  Incidents  in  the  Life  of  our  Saviour,"  etc.    16rao,  cloth.    50  cts. 
"  It  is  one  of  the  few  books  that  we  feci  free  to  recommend."  —  Metii.  Protestant. 
"The  author  presents  Christianity,  in  its  various  aspects,  with  skill  and  power."— 
Peesdyteriax. 
"  Christians  of  all  names  will  read  it  with  deep  interest."—  Christ.  Curoxicle. 
"  It  shows  throughout  a  discriminating  and  thoroughly  disciplined  mind."  —  Puri- 
tan Recorder. 

MY  MOTHER ;  or,  Recollections  of  Maternal  Influence. 
By  a  New  England  Clergyman.    12mo,  cloth.    75  cents. 

This  is  a  new  and  enlarged  edition  of  a  work  that  was  first  published  in  1849.  It 
passed  rapidly  through  three  editions,  when  the  sale  was  arrested  by  the  embarrass- 
ment of  the  publisher.    The  autlior  has  now  revised  it,  and  added  another  chapter, 

so  that  it  comes  beibre  the  public  with  the  essential  claims  of  a  new  work 

It  is  the  picture  of  a  quiet  New  England  Family,  so  drawn  and  colored  as  to  subserve 
the  ends  of  domestic  edi:catiox The  author  has  already  distin- 
guished himself  in  various  walks  of  literature  ;  but  from  motives  of  delicacy  towards 
the  still  surviving  characters  of  the  book,  he  chooses  for  the  present  to  conceal  his 
name A  writer  of  wide  celebrity  says  of  the  book,  in  a  note  to  the  pub- 
lisher—  "It  is  one  of  those  rare  pictures,  painted  from  life,  with  the  exquisite  skill  of 
one  of  the  old  masters,  Avhich  so  seldom  present  themselves  to  the  amateur." 

MEMORIES    OF   A    GRANDMOTHER.      By  a  Lady  of 

Massachusetts.    16mo,  cloth.    50  cents. 

"  My  path  lies  in  a  valley  which  I  have  sought  to  adorn  with  flowers.    Shadow* 
from  the  hills  cover  it,  but  I  make  my  own  sunshine." 
"  The  little  volume  is  gracefully  and  beautifully  written."— Journal. 
"Not  unworthy  the  genius  of  a  Dickens." — Transcript. 

THE  TEACHER'S  LAST  LESSON.  A  Memoir  of  Mar- 
tha Whiting,  late  of  the  Charlestown  Female  Seminary,  consisting 
•  chiefly  of  Extracts  from  her  Journal,  interspersed  with  Reminiscences 
and  Su;?flfestive  Reflections.  By  Catharine  N.  Badger,  an  Asso- 
ciate Teacher.  With  a  Portrait,  and  an  Engraving  of  the  Seminary. 
12mo,  cloth.    $1.00    Second  edition. 

The  subject  of  this  Memoir  was,  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  at  the  head  of  one  of 
the  most  celebrated  Female  Seminaries  in  the  country.  During  that  period  she  edu- 
cated more  thaif  three  thousand  young  ladies.  She  was  a  kindred  spirit  to  Jlary 
Lyon,  the  celebrated  founder  of  Mount  llolyoke  Seminary,  with  whom,  for  strength 
of  character,  eminent  piety,  devotion  to  her  calling,  and  extraordinary  Buccess  there- 
in, the  well  deserrei  to  be  ranked.  («) 


RECEx^T   PUBLICATIONS. 


HTSTOllY  OF  CHURCH  MUSIC  IN  AMERICA.  Treating  of 
its  peculiarities  at  ditFcrent  periods  ;  its  legitimate  use  and  its 
abuse  ;  with  Criticisms,  Cursory  Remarks,  and  Notices  relating 
to  Composers,  Teachers,  Schools,  Choirs,  Societies,  ^on  mentions. 
Books,  etc.  By  Nathanikl  J).  Gould,  Author  of  "So;ial  Har- 
mony," "  Church  Harmony,"  etc.     12mo,  cloth.     75  ctnts. 

£;^  Tins  work  will  be  found  to  contain  a  vast  fund  of  information,  wHh  much 
that  is  novel,  amusing  and  instructive.  In  giving  a  minute  hisiory  of  Church 
Music  for  the  past  eighty  years,  there  are  interspersed  throughout  the  volume 
many  interesting  incidents,  and  numerous  anecdotes  concerning  Ministers, 
Composers,  Teachers,  Performers  and  Performances,  Societies,  Choirs,  &c.  - 

COMPLETE  POETICAL  WORKS  OF  WILLIAM   COWPER ; 

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low  price  at  which  they  are  offered,  render  them  the  most  desirable  of  any  of 
the  numerous  editions  of  these  authors'  works  now  in  the  market. 

Tnited  States  JExploring  Expedition.  — Volume  Xn. 

MOLLUSCA  AND  SHELLS.  By  Augitstus  A.  Gould,  M.  D 
One  elegant  quarto  volume,  cloth.     $6.00. 

THE  TWO  RECORDS  ;   the  Mosaic  and  the  Geological.     By 
Hugh  Miller.     16mo,  cloth.     25  cents. 
4®-  No  work  by  Hugh  Miller  needs  commendation  to  Insure  purchasers. 

NOAH  AND  HIS  TIMES  ;  embracing  various  inquiries  relative 
if}  the  Ante-diluvian  and  earlier  Post-diluvian  Periods,  with  Dia- 
cussions  of  several  of  the  leading  questions  of  the  present  time. 
By  Rev.  J.  Munson  Olmstead.     12mo,  cloth.     $1.25. 

PARISIAN  PASTOR'S  GLANCE   AT  AMERICA.      By  T.  H. 

Grank  Pierre,  D.D.,  Pastor  of  the  Reformed  Church,  and  Direc 

tor  of  the  Missionary  Institution  in  Paris.    16mo,  clo  h.    50  eta. 

The  author  of  this  volume  is  one  of  the  most  eminent  ministers  now  living 

of  the  Reformed  Church  of  France.    He  is  distinguished  as  a  preacher  and  a 

wr'ter  -,  as  a  man  of  large  and  liberal  views,  of  earnest  piety,  of  untirin?  in1u8 

try,  and  of  commanding  Influence.    His  statements  are  characterized  by  greal 

fion-«ctDetiS  as  well  as  great  candor.  —  Puritan  Recorder  (J) 


WORKS    JUST    ISSUED. 


VISITS  TO  EUROPEAN  CELEBRITIES.  By  William  B. 
Sprague,  D.  D.    12mo,  cloth.    $1.00. 

It  consists  of  #  series  of  Personal  Slcetches,  drawn  from  life,  of  many  of  th« 
most  distinguislied  men  and  women  of  Europe,  witli  whom  the  author  became  ac- 
quainted in  the  course  of  several  European  tours.  They  are  portrayed  as  the  author 
Baw  them  in  their  own  homes,  and  under  the  most  advantageous  circumstances. 
Accompanying  the  sketches  are  the  AuTOor.APiis  of  each  of  the  personages  de- 
scribed. This  unique  feature  of  the  work  adds  in  no  small  degree  to  its  attractions. 
For  the  social  circle,  for  the  traveller  by  railroad  and  steamboat,  for  all  who  desire  to 
be  refreshed  and  not  wearied  by  reading,  the  book  will  prove  to  be  a  most  agreeable 
companion.  The  public  press,  of  all  shades  of  opinion,  north  and  south,  have  given 
it  a  most  flattering  reception. 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  CAISIPAIGN.  A  Complete  Narra- 
tive of  the  War  in  Southern  Russia.  "Written  in  a  Tent  in  the  Crimea. 
By  Major  E.  Bruce  Hamley,  author  of"  Lady  Lee's  Widowhood." 
With  a  new  Map.  expressly  for  the  work.  12mo.  Thick.  Printed 
paper  covers.    37i  cents. 

Contents.  —  The  Rendezvous  ;  The  Movement  to  the  Crimea  ;  First  Operations 
in  the  Crimea  ;  Battle  of  the  Alma  ;  The  Battle-field  ;  The  Katcha  and  the  Balbek  ; 
The  Flank  March  ;  Occupation  of  Balaklava  ;  The  Position  before  Sebastapol ; 
Commencement  of  the  Siege  ;  Attack  on  Balaklava ;  First  Action  of  Inkcrman  ; 
Battle  of  Inkerman  ;  Winter  on  the  Plains  ;  Circumspective  ;  The  Hospitals  on  the 
Bosphorus  ;  Exculpatory;  Progress  of  the  Siege  ;  Burial  Truce  ;  Tiew  of  the  Works. 

It  is  the  only  connected  and  continuous  narrative  of  the  War  in  Europe  that  has 
yet  appeared.  The  author  is  an  officer  of  rank  in  the  British  army,  and  has  borne  an 
active  part  in  the  campaign  ;  he  has  also  won  a  brilliant  reputation  as  an  author.  By 
his  profession  of  arms,  by  his  actual  participation  in  the  conflict,  and  by  his  literjiry 
abilities,  he  is  qualified  in  a  rare  degree  for  the  task  he  has  undertaken.  The  expec- 
tations thus  raised  will  not  be  disappointed. 

TRAGIC  SCENES  IN  THE  HISTORY  OF  MARYLAND 
AND  THE  OLD  FRENCH  WAR.  With  an  account  of  various 
interesting  contemporaneous  events  which  occurred  in  the  earlj-  set- 
tlement of  America.  By  Joseph  Banvard,  A.  M.  With  numerous 
elegant  Illustrations.    12mo,  cloth.    60  cents. 

"  The  volume  is  one  of  a  series  by  the  same  author,  and  all  those  who  have  pnr- 
wtiased  its  predecessors  will  be  sure  to  buy  the  present  work."  — Hartford  Press 

"  We  commend  the  work  to  our  readers  as  a  capital  one  for  the  instruction  as  well 
as  the  amusement  of  youth."  — Boston  Atlas. 


IS©~  G.  &  L.  would  call  attention  to  their  extensive  list  of  publications,  embracing 
Tahiable  works  in  Theology,  Science,  Literature  and  Art  ;  Text  Books 
For.  ScJiOO-.-s  ANP  Colleges, 'and  jMiscellaneous,  etc.,  in  large  variety,  the 
prod'.vctions  of  some  of  the  ablest  writers  and  most  scientific  men  of  the  age,  among 
which  will  be  found  those  of  Chambers,  Hugh  Miller,  Agassiz,  Gould,  Guyot,  Mar^* 
cou,  Dr.  Harris,  Dr.  Wayland,  Dr.  Williams,  Dr.  Ripley,  Dr.  Kitto,  Dr.  Twcedie, 
Dr.  Choules,  Dr.  Sprague,  Newcomb,  Banvard,  "  Walter  Aimwell,"  Bungencr,  Miall, 
Archdeacon  Hare,  and  others  of  like  standing  and  popularity,  and  to  this  list  they  axe 
eonstan,tly  adding.  00 


IMPORTANT    WORK. 


KITTO'S   POPULAR    CYCLOPEDIA    OF    BIBLICAL 

LITERATURE.  Condensed  from  the  larger  work.  By  tiie  Autlior, 
John  Kitto,  D.  D.,  Author  of  "Scripture  Daily  Readinjr:^,"  &.c.  As- 
sisted by  JA3IES  Taylor,  D.  D.     With  over  500  Illustrations.     3,00. 

This  work  is  designed  to  furnish  a  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  embodying  the 
products  of  the  best  and  most  recent  researches  in  biblical  literature,  in  which  the 
scholars  of  Europe  and  America  have  been  engaged.  The  woik,  the  result  of  im-y 
Dicnse  labor  and  research,  is  pronounced,  by  universal  consent,  the  best  -vr.irk  of  its 
class  extant.  It  is  not  only  intended  for  iiduisttrs  and  theological  students,  but  is  also 
particularly  adapted  to  parents.  Sabbath  school  teachers,  and  the  great  hody  of  the  re- 
ligious public.  The  illustrations,  amounting  to  more  than  300,  are  of  the  highest  order. 
A  condensed  view  of  the  various  topics  compirehended  in  the  work. 

1.  Biblical  Criticism,—  Embracing  the  History  of  the  Bible  Languages;  Can- 
on of  Scripture;  Literary  History  and  Peculiarities  of  the  Sacred  Cooks  ;  Formation 
and  History  of  Scripture  Texts. 

2.  History, —  Proper  Names  of  Persons;  Biographical  Sketches  of  prominent 
Characters ;  Detailed  Accounts  of  important  Events  recorded  in  Scripture ;  Chronol- 
ogy and  Genealogy  of  Scripture. 

3.  Geography,  —  Names  of  Places ;  Description  of  Scenery;  Boundaries  and  Mu- 
tual Relations  of  the  Countries  mentioned  in  Scripture,  so  far  as  necessary  to  illus- 
trate the  Sacred  Text 

4.  Arch.eology,  — Manners  and  Customs  of  the  Jews  and  other  nations  men- 
tioned In  Scripture ;  their  Sacred  Institutions,  MiUtory  Afiaks,  Political  Arrange- 
inents.  Literary  and  Scientific  Pursuits. 

5.  Physical  Science,— Scripture  Cosmogony  and  Astronomy,  Zoology,  Min- 
eralogy, Botany,  Meteorology. 

In  addition  to  numerous  flattering  notices  and  reviews,  personal  letters  from  * 
large  number  of  the  most  distinguished  Ministers  and  Laymen  of  different  religiovs  (Ib~ 
nominations  in  the  country  have  been  received,  highly  commending  this  work  as  ad.. 
Eiirably  adapted  to  ministers,  Sabbath  school  teachers,  heads  of  families,  and  all 
£ible  students. 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter  is  a  fair  specimen  of  individual  letters  rcceiviid 
•Jrcra  each  of  the  gentlemen  whose  names  are  given  below :  — 

''I  have  examined  it  with  special  and  unallo/ed  satisfaction.  It  h.ns  the  rare  merit 
yf  being  all  that  it  professes  to  be;  and  very  few,  I  am  sure,  who  may  consult  it  will 
deny  that,  in  richness  and  fulness  of  detail,  it  surpasses  their  expectution.  Many 
tninisters  will  find  it  a  valuable  auxiliary  ;  but  its  chief  excellence  is,  that  it  furnishes 
just  the  facilities  which  are  needed  by  the  thousands  in  families  and  Sabbath  schools, 
^ho  are  engaged  in  the  important  business  of  biblical  education.  It  is  in  itself  a  ii- 
J^liaiy  of  reliable  information." 

*  W.  B.  Sprague,  D.  D.,  Albany;  J.  J.  Carruthers,  D.  D.,  Portland ;  Joel  Ha'VMS, 
D.D.,  Hartford,  Ct.;  Daniel  Sharp,  D.  D.,  Boston;  N.  L.  Frothingham,  D.  D..  Bos- 
ton; Ephrnim  Peabody.  D  D.,  Boston  ;  A.  L.  Stone.  Boston  ;  John  S.  Stone,  D.  D.. 
Brooklyn  ;  J.  B.  Waterbury,  D.  D.,  Boston  :  Baron  Stow,  D.  D.,  Boston  ;  Thomas  H. 
f  kinner,  D.  D.,  New  York  ;  Samuel  W.  Worcester,  D.  D.,  Salem  ;  Horace  Bushnell. 
I .  D.,  Hartford,  Ct. ;  Right  Reverend  J.  M.  Wainwright,  D.  D..  New  York  ;  Gardner 
gpring,  D.  D.,  New  York  ;  W.  T.  Dwight.  D.  D..  Portland ;  E.  N.  Kirk,  Boston  ;  Prof. 
Ccorge  Bush,  author  of  "  Notes  on  the  Scriptures,"  New  York  :  Howard  Malcom, 
T>.  D..  author  of  "  Bible  Dictionary  ; "  Henry  J.  Ripley,  D.  D.,  author  of  "  Notes  on 
te  Scriptures;"  N.  Porter,  Prof,  in  Yale  College,  New  Haven,  Ct:  Jared  Sparks, 
Edward  Everett  Theodore  Frelinghuysen.  Robert  C.  Winthrop.  John  McLean.  Si- 
DT^n  Greenleaf,  Thomas  S.  Williams.  —  and  a  large  number  of  others  of  like  char- 
acter and  standing  of  the  above,  whose  names  cannot  here  appear.  H 


IMPOETANT  WORKS. 

ANALYTICAL  CONCORDANCE  OF  THE  HOLY 
SCRIPTURES ;  or,  The  Bible  presented  under  Distinct  and  Classi- 
fied Heads  or  Topics.  By  John  Eadie,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  Author  of 
the  "Biblical  Cyclopjedia,"  "Dictionary  of  the  Bible,"  &c.,  &c. 
One  volume,  royal  octavo,  836  pp.  Cloth,  $3.00 ;  sheep,  $3.50.  Jus* 
T      published. 

The  publishers  •vrould  call  the  special  attention  of  clergymen  to  the  peculiar 
features  of  this  great  work. 

1.  It  is  a  concordance  of  subjects,  not  of  words.  In  this  it  differs  from  the  com- 
mon concordance,  which,  of  course,  it  does  not  supersede. 

2.  It  embraces  all  the  topics,  both  secular  and  religious,  which  are  naturally 
suggested  by  the  entire  contents  of  the  Bible.  In  this  it  differs  from  Scripture 
Manuals  and  Topical  Text-books,  which  are  confined  to  religious  or  doctrinal  topics. 

3.  It  contains  the  whole  of  the  Bible  without  abridgment,  differing  in  no  respect 
from  the  Bible  in  common  use,  except  in  the  classification  of  its  contents. 

4.  It  contains  a  synopsis,  separate  from  the  concordance,  presenting  within  the 
compass  of  a  few  pages  a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  whole  contents. 

5.  It  contains  a  table  of  contents,  embracing  nearly  two  thousand  heads,  arranged 
in  alphabetical  order. 

The  purchaser  gets  not  only  a  Concordance,  but  also  a  Bible,  in  this  volume.  Th« 
superior  convenience  arising  out  of  this  fact,  —  saving,  as  it  does,  the  necessity  of 
having  two  books  at  hand  and  of  making  two  references,  instead  of  one,  —  will  bo 
readily  apparent. 

The  general  subjects  (under  each  of  which  there  are  a  vast  number  of  sub-divi- 
•ions)  are  arranged  as  follows,  viz.  : 

Agriculture,— Animals,— Architecture,-'  Army,— Arms,— Body,— Canaan,— Cove- 
nant,—Diet  and  Dress,— Disease  and  Death,— Earth,— Family,— Genealogy,— God, 
Heaven,— Idolatry,  Idols,— Jesus  Christ,— 7ews,— Laws,— Magistrates,— Man,— Mar- 
riage,—Metals  and  Minerals,— Ministers  of  Religion,— Miracles,— Occupations,— 
Ordinances,— Parables  andEmblems,— Persecution,— Praise  and  Prayer,— Prophecy, 
Providence,- Redemption,— Sabbaths  and  Holy  Days,— Sacrifice,— Scriptures,— 
Speech,— Spirits,— Tabernacle  and  Temple,— Vineyard  and  Orchard,— Visions  and 
Dreams,— War,— Water. 

It  is  adapted  not  only  to  assist  the  student  in  prosecuting  the  investigation  of 
preconceived  ideas,  but  also  to  impart  ideas  which  the  most  careful  reading  of  the 
Bible  in  its  ordinary  arrangement  might  not  suggest.  Let  him  take  up  any  one  of 
the  subjects  —  "  Agriculture,"  for  example  -  and  see  if  such  be  not  the-case. 

No  Biblical  student  would  willin.dy  dispense  with  tnis  Concordance  when  once 
possessed.  It  is  adapted  to  tlie  necessities  of  all  classes,  —  clergymen  and  theo- 
logical students;  Sabbath-school  superintendents  and  teachers;  authors  engaged 
in  the  composition  of  religious  and  even  secular  works. 

A  COMMENTARY  ON  THE  ORIGINAL  TEXT  OF 
THE  ACTS  OF  THE  APOSTLES.  By  Horatio  B.  Hackett.  D.  D., 
Frof  of  Biblical  Lit.  and  Interpretation,  Newton  Theological  In3. 
DI7"New,  revised,  and  enlarged  edition.    In  Press. 

US'  This  most  important  and  very  popular  work,  has  been  throughly  revised 
■nd  considerably  enlarged  by  the  introduction  of  important  new  matter,  the  result 
of  the  Author's  continued,  laborious  investigations  since  the  publication  of  the  first 
edition,  aided  by  the  more  recent  pubhshed  critcisms  of  other  distinguished  Bibli" 
cal  Scholars,  in  this  country  and  in  Europe.  (y) 


(&onlh  anb  ^inmln's  ^Publiratioits* 


(RELIGIOUS.) 


GOTTnOLD'S  EMBLEMS;  or,  Invisible  Things  Understood  by 
Things  that  are  Made.  By  Christian  Scriver.  Tr,  from  the  28th 
German  Ed.  by  Rev.  Robert  Menzies.  .8vo,cL,  $1.00;  fine  ed.  1.50. 

THE  STILL  HOUR;  or,  Communion  with  God.  By  Prof.  Austin 
Phelps,  D.  D.,  of  Andover  Theol.  Seminary.    16mo,  cl.    38  cts. 

LESSONS  AT  THE  CROSS;  or.  Spiritual  Truth  Familiarly  Ex- 
hibited in  their  Relations  to  Christ.  By  Samuel  Hopkins.  Intro- 
duction by  George  W.  Blagden,  D.  D.    16mOj  cloth.    75  cents. 

NEW  ENGLAND  THEOCRACY.  From  the  German  of  Uhden. 
By  H.  C.  CoNANT.    Introduction  by  Nkander.    12mo,  cl.    $1.00. 

EVENINGS    WITH   THE   DOCTRINES.      By  Rev.  Nehemiah 

Adams,  D.  D.    12mo,  cloth. 
THE  STATE    OF    THE   IMPENITENT   DEAD.      By  Alvah 

HovEY,  D.  D.,  Prof,  in  Newton  Theol.  Inst.    16mo,  cloth.    50  cents. 

FOOTSTEPS  OF  OUR  FOREFATHERS;  what  they  Suffered  and 
what  they  Sought.  Describing  Localities,  Personages,  and  Events, 
in  the  Struggles  for  Religious  Liberty.  By  James  G.  Miall.  Illus- 
trations.   12mo,  cloth.    $1.00. 

MEMORIALS  OF  EARLY  CHRISTIANITY.  Presenting,  in  a 
graphic  form,  Memorable  Events  of  Early  Ecclesiastical  History,  etc. 
By  Rev.  J.  G.  Miall.    With  Illustrations.    12mo,  cloth.    $1.00. 

THE  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISE.  The  choicest  Discourses  in 
the  language  on  Christian  Missions,  by  distinguished  American  Au- 
thors.   Edited  by  Baron  Stow,  D.  D.    12mo,  cloth.    85  cents. 

THE  RELIGIONS  OF  THE  WORLD ;  their  Relations  to  Chris- 
tianity.    By  Frederick  Denison  Maurice.    16mo,  cloth.    60  cts. 

THE  CHRISTIAN  WORLD  UNMASKED.  By  John  Beeridgb, 
A.  M.  Life  of  the  Author,  by  Thomas  Guthrie,  D.  D.  16mo,  cl.  50a 

THE  EXCELLENT  WOMAN,  described  in  the  Book  of  Proverbs. 
With  an  Introduction  by  W.  B.  Sprague,  D.  D.  Twenty-four 
splendid  Illustrations.    12mo  cloth.    $1.00. 

MOTHERS  OF   THE    WISE  AND    GOOD.     By  Jabez  Burns, 

D.  D.    16mo,  cloth.    75  cents. 
THE  SIGNET-RING,  and  its  Heavenly  Motto.    From  the  German. 

Illustrated.    16mo,  cloth,  gilt.    31  cents. 
THE  MARRIAGE-RING ;  or,  How  to  Make  Home  Happy.    Johm 

Angell  James.    Illustrated  ed.    16mo,  cloth,  gilt    75  cents. 


(SABBATH    SCHOOL.) 


POPULAR  CYCLOPEDIA  OF  BIBLICAL  LITER ATURK 
Condensed,  by  J.  Kitto,  D.  D.  Numerous  Illustrations.  8vo.  $3.00. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  PALESTINE;  its  Geography  and  Natural 
History,  its  Customs  and  Institutions.  By  John  Kitto,  D.  D. 
With  Illustrations.    12mo.     $1.25. 

ANALYTICAL  CONCORDANCE  TO  THE  SCRIPTURES;  or, 
The  Bible  under  Distinct,  Classified  Topics.  By  John  Eadie,  D.  D. 
8vo.    $3.00. 

CRUDEN'S  CONDENSED  CONCORDANCE.  8vo.  $1.25 and  1.50. 

COMMENTARY  ON  THE  ORIGINAL  TEXT  OF  THE  ACTS 
OF  THE  Apostles.    By  H.  B.  Hackett,  d.  D.   8vo.    $2.25. 

ILLUSTRATIONS  OF  SCRIPTURE.  Suggested *y  a  tour  through 
the  Holy  Land.  With  Illustrations.  New,  enlarged  edition.  By 
H.  B.  Hackett,  J).  D.    12mo,  cloth.    $1.00. 

PROF.  H.  J.  RIPLEY'S  NOTES. 

On  the  Gospels.    For  Sab- 
bath Schools,  Family  Instruction,  etc.   Map  of  Canaan.  Cloth.  $1.25. 
On  the  Acts  of  the  Apos- 


tles. With  Map  of  Travels  of  the  Apostle  Paul.  12mo,  cloth.  75cts. 
On  the  Epistle  of  Paul 


to  the  Romans.    12mo,  cloth,  embossed.    67  cents. 

COMMENTARY  ON  THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  EPHESIANS. 
Explanatory,  Doctrinal,  and  Practical.  By  K.  E.  Pattison,  D.  D. 
12mo.    85  cents. 

MALCOM'S  NEW  BIBLE  DICTION AR  Y  of  Names,  Objects,  and 
Terms  found  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  By  Howard  Malcom,  D.  D. 
16mo,  cloth.    60  cents. 

HARMONY  QUESTIONS  ON  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS,  for  the 
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SABBATH  SCHOOL  CLASS-BOOK.     By  E.  Lincoln.    13  cents. 

LINCOLN'S  SCRIPTURE  QUESTIONS;  with  Answers.    Sets. 

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EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY,  as  exhibited  in  the  writings  of 
its  apologists,  down  to  Augustine.  By  Prof.  W.  J.  Bolton.  12mo, 
cloth.    80  cents. 

{SO) 


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